Resurrected From Ashes
by MelloKai
Summary: Konoha has fallen. Even without all of the bijuu, Akatsuki has managed to overwhelm the village. Kakashi is forced to watch his comrades and students die. By a bizarre stroke of forethought from the Hokage, time is reversed and he is given a chance to fix everything. It's a shame he had no choice in the matter. M for future Gore
1. In the Beginning arethe Ashes of the End

_**Chapter One: In the Beginning are the Ashes of the End**  
_

_"Pick it up, pick it all up. And start again. You've got a second chance, you could go home, escape it all.. it's just irrelevant." -_ Medicine, by Daughter. [YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS WHILE YOU READ, IT SETS A GOOD TONE!]

OF ALL THE vast tidbits of information that he'd collected over the years to base his conclusions on, Kakashi could honestly say that the majority of that knowledge, if not all of it, pointed directly to two very succinct and obvious conclusions, the first of those being that his life was in shambles and as of this moment was a complete and utter waste. The second deduction that he had come across was that he was in every way possible a hypocrite.

Trash? He was lower than trash. He was not leaving his teammates behind; he was completely forsaking his ideals to wallow in his own misery, even if only for the moment and his complete inability to fight at the moment. While his self-loathing and pity wasn't completely misplaced, his own degradation would do little to quell the battle that was undeniable warring on without him. He was inconsequential, in the grand scheme of things, anyway. He couldn't take care of a simple Genin team, let alone command the ANBU troops as the Hokage had asked. He'd tried his best, but it was for naught. Many of them lay slaughtered by the hands of Naruto's sworn enemies and the various minions and allies of that terrible group.

Akatsuki... Kakashi shifted his weight onto the ball of his right foot as he watched the battle beneath him. From his perch atop the head of Hashirama he had quite the view. Akatsuki hadn't succeeded in collecting all of the bijuu, but they'd managed to gather the help of other villages in order to conquer Konoha. Kakashi was sure that some of the villages had been scared into submission, but it didn't make the situation hurt him any less. All of the previous battles had been horrendous; the sounds of hundreds of ninja dragging in their last, ragged breaths before the life sputtered out of them would perhaps fade with time, though he hardly believed that would happen. The images of such atrocities, however... _this _he knew would never leave him.

Precious Lee had been one of the first to perish. To see him struck down in a vicious flurry of ninjutsu of such a caliber that not even he himself would have escaped caused a throbbing ache to originate in the pit of his chest. He should have shunshin'd with the boy and given him a chance to keep fighting. Lee had taken down two hundred of the enemy forces before dying to protect the Hokage. It had been a most personal loss to Kakashi, who had secretly respected both Lee and Gai for their constant perseverance. Gai had been furious, making such quick of the enemy ninja that Kakashi wouldn't have thought it possible.

Kakashi grit his teeth as he recalled how he had watched the battle rage on. Another one was killed, before his unyielding, damnably perfect gaze. He saw every cut with perfect analytical precision, knowing just which arteries had been sliced and how deeply. The blood trickled past Kiba's lips as his body gave way. Kakashi wondered absently how he would appear as he died. Not nearly as valiant, he supposed.

The deaths had happened in a myriad of ways until they were nearly all gone. Watching them die had been the worst part. Fighting side by side with them to ensure their safety... he had failed. Each and every time he'd failed. There were just too many...

The sounds of a battle were still raging. Konoha was gone and yet the fighting continued. And for what? Kakashi sadly watched as Naruto clashed with the remaining ninja. By now only the strongest were left... How ironic that _he_ was left. He was too injured to fight further. Death was imminent, he was sure. He would've stayed to fight but Naruto would have only died faster trying to protect him. He at least owed his student the satisfaction of taking as many of those bastards with him on the way out. It was only suiting to allow the Hokage to do his best to protect the village, even if it no longer existed.

The sound of a loud bomb exploding could be heard as he continued to stare at his student. Long ago had the student surpassed his sensei... If only Minato could see him now. How proud would he have been? Would he have taught Naruto the Hiraishin?

Kakashi looked away when Naruto shrieked in pain; it wasn't a sound of physical pain but emotional torment. Forcing himself to look, Kakashi could see the blood spilling from his pink-haired student. The pain in his chest increased almost to the point of snapping. She was careening through the air, a look of utter shock plastered to her porcelain features.

Forcing the chakra into his feet, Kakashi pushed off of the monument. Gracefully, he caught her before she could hit the ground. He could feel her gaze upon him as he struggled to land with the same grace.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura smiled lightly as tears carved paths through the grimy soot of war that covered her cheeks. "I-" '_I thought you were dead.' _She needn't have said it.

"Sh... Save your strength," he pleaded, pushing his hitai-ite up off of his eye. _'I'd rather it be me.' _"You need to get better so you can help Naruto-kun, ne?"

Sakura smiled sadly, noting the sheer desperation in his tone. She repressed the urge to wheeze, even as the blood began to soak through the material of her shirt. Her breath caught when she realized his hand was moving towards his mask. "What... sensei?"

Kakashi sucked in a shuddering breath as she tilted her head to the side in confusion, not noticing that her own blood was collecting in the corner of her mouth. "I thought," he whispered, pulling the mask down, "that you might want to see my face bef-"

A racking sob escaped him, much to his chagrin. Ninjas weren't supposed to cry, but then again, he'd done a lot of things over the years that he wasn't proud of. He just couldn't bring himself to say it... Before you _die._ Sakura smiled slightly, reaching up with the last bit of her strength to touch his cheek. "Don't cry, Kakashi-sensei. Ninja don't cry."

Kakashi chuckled thickly, brushing the hair out of her face. "Liar. You're crying, too."

"Tears of happiness are okay," she whispered. Kakashi scrunched his eyes shut, willing himself not to beg her to hang on. She was ready to go, probably _glad_ to go after fighting for so long. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

For what?" he whispered fiercely, his eyes burning into hers with anger. "I haven't done a single thing I should have. I should have done so much more!"

She simply smiled at him, blinking her big green eyes at him slowly. "But I know you will."

She died with that infernally serene smile on her face before he could even demand how he was to fix things. Kakashi couldn't contain his gut-wrenching screams of loss. He'd known they'd die. He just didn't understand why it had to hurt so goddamned much. He'd had many comrades die in war before, but not like this. Not like this... they deserved better than this.

The sounds of battle were getting closer to him. Kakashi slowly turned his body around, every move sending ripples of pain through him. His time was nearing, as was Naruto's. He could feel the distinct ripple of Kyuubi's chakra as it cut through the air. But even then, it was not enough. Naruto's strangled cry was loud and emotionally scarring as the blonde jinchuuriki was slammed into the ground.

Kakashi forced his body to move, fighting against death every step of the way. His body was ready to give out, but he wasn't- not before he saw Naruto.

The enemy ninja had mysteriously disappeared, though for what reason he was not sure. He didn't care, to be honest. Kakashi gasped in pain as he practically collapsed onto the ground next to Naruto.

Naruto coughed as blood pooled in his lungs. He smiled cheekily at Kakashi, who had used some of his last dregs of strength to yank Naruto into his lap. "You look like shit, Kakashi-sensei. I thought you were dead..."

"I couldn't hang around to fight with you, otherwise you'd just have killed yourself trying to protect me." Kakashi whispered.

"Yeah, well... I guess this makes up for it," chuckled Naruto, wincing as his ribs protested at the motion. "Never thought I'd see the day."

Kakashi sighed, letting a few of his tears spill over. "Naruto... this wasn't how it was supposed to end. I'm so sorry... I should have done more. I failed you... I-"

"It's okay, Kakashi. I just wish I could have protected my precious people... I failed..." Naruto smiled up at him, eyes watery and voice sad. "We both could've done a lot differently, ne?"

Kakashi smiled wistfully as sobs threatened to prevent him from speaking. "So much..."

"Kakashi-sensei... Thanks for being there for Sakura. I—I know it hurts but just close your eyes. Lay down and close your eyes. We're both almost done, you know." Naruto's words cut through Kakashi like a deadly katana blade. Kakashi brushed Naruto's hair away from his hitai-ite covered forehead and pressed a kiss to the smooth metal.

"You deserved more, Naruto-kun. More than anyone ever gave you."

With that, Kakashi plopped down on the ground next to Naruto, wheezing as his mind finally allowed his body to submit to the stress placed upon it.

Naruto lazily turned his head to glance at his teacher. "Sensei... if you could do it all again, what would you do differently?"

Kakashi smiled slightly as fresh tears leaked from his eyes. "Everything... I'd save everyone I possibly could. Especially you. Don't tell Sakura-chan, but you were my favorite."

Naruto giggled until he choked on the blood threatening to suffocate him at any moment. "I knew it! Which is good, considering what I'm about to do..."

Kakashi's trained eyes searched for further response, but he found none. In fact, Naruto stopped breathing and his heart-beat slowed to a near non-existent pulse. Kakashi felt the stressing pressure within his chest break and his world gave way to blackness. His will to survive evaporated, and without it, his world crashed down around him as the darkness consumed him. He accepted it wholeheartedly, wondering what Hell would look like.

His previous misconceptions paled in comparison.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

PAIN. IT CONSUMED every aspect of his being. His body was being ripped from him. His mind was fracturing with the pain of staying intact. Memories, new and then older, rippled to the surface. All of the memories coursed through him as he remained, consumed in the world of darkness.

Sparks in the darkness gave birth to a greater image; he could see Naruto's body as he lay lifeless on the ground. '_If you could do it all again, what would you do differently?' _Naruto's disembodied echoed hollowly in the background as Kakashi watched the scene begin to rewind. Naruto was slammed into the ground, again and again. It rewound and played once more.

How was he seeing this? He hadn't even been there...

Kakashi could feel himself sucking an anguished gasp as suddenly he was watching Sakura being impacted by the tremendous force of one of Deidara's devilish "art" bombs. So much suffering... even as he watched the torrential onslaught of painful images, Kakashi couldn't help but wonder how on earth he could be seeing all of this. This was not the vantage point with which he'd experienced them being abused...

His confusion evaporated as suddenly, he was seeing things through his own eyes again. Sakura's tear-streaked, soot covered face as she told him not to cry... the feel of her hand on his cheek... the smell of Naruto's burnt hair as he watched the life fade from his eyes... it still hurt to see. It hurt _more _to watch this time because he knew it was coming but he couldn't force himself to look away.

Kakashi's depression lifted for a moment as the scenes disappeared, but it returned full force when he was forced to watch his beloved village be forced into the ground. Scenes of deaths that he even didn't recall witnessing but had remembered hearing about were flashed before him, some more gruesome than others but each one painful to watch. Kakashi could vaguely feel the tears on his cheeks as he watched Gai die. It was long, drawn-out, and completely and utterly honorable. Gai did his best to protect Naruto.

He watched, from where Naruto stood, as Gai attempted to forcefully open the last of his celestial gates. After successfully doing so, he charged, evading the many swipes of the large cleaver of a sword, even laughing at Kisame's surprised expression. Then Kisame had stabbed forward with his massive sword. It easily cut through Gai's stomach, exiting the other side of his body. Gai's momentum propelled him forward, however. With the last of his energy, Gai used two Kunai to effectively decapitate the dreaded ninja. "Ah, the passion of youth... Naruto! Like a phoenix, you must rise above my ashes with the power of your youth!" Naruto promised he would. Gai slowly bled to death as Naruto ran off to seek vengeance for his fallen comrades.

There were so many deaths. Naruto. Sakura. Gai. Lee. Kiba. Shikamaru. Ino. All dead. Each every single person he could think of was dead. Even the Sunagakure ninja that Gaara had sent and accompanied to aid Konoha. Nothing remained. The Akatsuki had won, even without stealing Naruto's bijuu.

Kakashi cried out as his mind began to rewind playing through various painful images. Was he really so terrible that he had to endure this? He lost count of how many were violently slaughtered before him. At long last, he was eye to eye with Obito and then the boy was whisked away by the hands of fate and death was upon him.

Throughout all of this, all of the deaths and deprived imagery, he felt as though his body was being torn apart, bit by bit, and then rammed back together again. It was like being compressed and torn apart simultaneously. If he wasn't dead already, he was sure the massive overload of pain stimuli would have fried his brain.

After what seemed like an eternity the world went black. Peace. Finally. Kakashi exhaled miserably, wishing that he could just be at peace again. It'd been so long...

The sound of a chair scraping backwards roused him from his pensive state. '_What the fuck..._' Kakashi strained to hear more sounds, but could gather nothing conclusive. Something was wrong with his hearing. Although, he _was _dead. Wasn't he?

Did he have a body? Kakashi struggled to regain his situational awareness, but he was fucked. He couldn't tell if he was lying down, sitting up, or even _present. _Kakashi was frustrated at such a level that he wish he could scream. He was surprised when the sound of a thin, wailing cry pierced the eye. The ugly sound did little for the pounding, throbbing sensation of the worst hangover he'd ever experienced.

'_That's odd,_' he mused, almost forgetting his anger. He was so fatigued that it was hard for him to remain coherent. When he felt a pair of hands grip his shoulders, he didn't object. They felt bizarrely huge. Was he being gripped by a demon? Was he facing his judgment?

"Kakashi-kun, wake up. You're having a nightmare..." commanded a gravely, comforting voice. Kakashi winced when his world was flooded with light. That voice...

That _face_. Oh fuck. '_Fuck, fuck, fuck. Please, Kami, tell me this isn't happening.' _Kakashi was panicking internally as he looked down at himself. He was miniscule.

"Was taking that stupid exam worth it, if you're going to wake up every night having terrible dreams, hmm?" Kakashi whimpered at the sound of the voice. It'd been so long...

"Tou-san?" Kakashi couldn't believe his eyes or his ears. Sakumo blinked in confusion, noticing his boy's surprise at seeing him.

He tilted his head to the side, letting out a soft sound of surprise when Kakashi's tiny frame latched onto him with the little boy was worth. Needless to say, it actually hurt. He was only six, but he was already a Chunin and had quiet the grip. "Are you alright?"

"I just... I had a bad dream. I dreamed that you died and everyone else died..." Kakashi didn't care if this was a bizarre illusion before he passed over to the other side, but he didn't' care. He'd already forgiven his father for committing suicide; after he grew up it was something he'd considered quite often but had put off for one reason or another. He just wished things had been different.

Sakumo gave Kakashi a gentle squeeze before pulling back to smiley lazily. "I'm not going _anywhere, _shinme." Kakashi smiled, relishing the nickname. It meant 'bud,' referencing their family's long history of farming. Sometimes his father word call him 'me', for sprout, but Sakumo knew that Kakashi was embarrassed by it—it was used in public simply for that fact.

"I know I'm supposed to be a big kid now, but... can I sleep in your bed tonight? Just this once?" Kakashi bit his lip, wondering what Naruto would do if he knew that his thirty-two year old sensei was sleeping in the same bed as his father. He repressed the bitter sadness that pressed down on him, crushing into his chest like a deadly weight. Sakumo nodded drowsily, flipping Kakashi up onto his shoulder too quickly for Kakashi to protest.

Kakashi chuckled softly as his father carried him to the room that Kakashi had taken to avoiding in the future. As his father plopped down onto the bed, Kakashi rolled off of his shoulder and onto the mattress with a soft sigh. Plucking up his courage, he rolled over and poked his father in the side. A trained ninja, he'd already fallen asleep. He jolted awake and rolled over to stare at Kakashi, who gaze at him with a neutral expression.

"Eh? What? Was I snoring or something?"

Kakashi giggled in spite of himself and then frowned. This body wasn't used to being a lazy, emotionless tool. Damn. He schooled his features again as he shook his head 'no.' "Do you... no matter what happens, I love you, okay, tou-san? I just needed to tell you that."

Sakumo smiled, tilting his chin forward as he thought. "I love you too, ya persistent little guy. Was your dream really that bad? You haven't willingly said you loved me in two years."

"Shinobi are supposed to be in control of their emotions at all times," pointed out Kakashi. That was something he stuck to after his mother died. His father's head had cemented that even further into his head, especially due to the circumstances behind the man's suicide. "But... I just realized that I don't say it enough and I couldn't... if you were gone, I don't know where I'd be."

"You know, I always thought I"d hear you say that when you got married. Not at two –thirty in the morning when you're six. I don't know if I'm blessed that you're so mature or not." Sakumo yanked him a hug, and then sighed drowsily. "Your mother would be proud of you, even though you're a bit of an emotionally stunted weirdo."

Kakashi felt his draw drop as he tried to pull away from his father's grip. "I just practically poured my heart out to you and you're making _fun _of me?"

"It's 'cuz I love you. Now sleep. I have a mission tomorrow and you have group training."

'_Ugh. At least this isn't real. Minato-sensei's training was always killer. Not that _I _had problems with it.' _' thought Kakashi, trying to close his eyes. Eventually the sounds of his father's breathing lulled him to sleep. He was pleased that there were no dreams to disturb him, only darkness. '_Whatever. I wonder what's next... A barrage of Itachi's to Tsukiyomi me into oblivion? Hmm... That sounds about right.'_

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI WASN'T RIGHT. It was one of the rare times that he was completely wrong—usually he had at least a vindication to his guesses, but this time there was no such thing. He was completely and utterly wrong. This fact was proven when his father flung a handful of kunai at him as a way of waking up the near-comatose boy.

Kakashi's younger body wasn't as perceptive of its surroundings, but his mind was still just as sharp as it had always been. Being paranoid did have its perks. He rolled out of bed without a sound, leaving the kunai to pierce the headboard. "What the fuck—"

The back of his father's hand connected with his cheek before he could finish the sentence. "What have I told you about your language!?"

"I don't remember!" snapped Kakashi, trying to gather his bearings. The world was spinning. "Dammit, I thought this wasn't—" Kakashi broke off, realizing that he couldn't go spouting on about how he thought he'd been dreaming or experiencing some weird illusion the night before. The pain coursing through him right now had rapidly shot that idea to Hell. He'd already had the migraine from hell before being back-handed with enough force to send him flying.

His father, an experienced Jonin, picked up on the slip of tongue. "Didn't think _what_?"

Kakashi paled, struggling furiously to think of a solution. The problem was that he couldn't. If he had indeed time-traveled, why in the hell had he come back to _this _point? What was so significant about this time?

"I..." Kakashi broke off as suddenly the pain in his head suddenly spiked dangerously. "Oh..." A dark haze fizzled around the edges of his vision as he crumpled.

Pushing his gray hair out of his face, Kakashi struggled to sit up. He froze when he heard the low growl of a voice he felt he should recognize but didn't. The deep, gravely tone almost frightened him. "Before you turn around, just know that if you laugh, I'm going to bite your feet off."

Kakashi immediately realized that he was no longer with his father. "Where am I?"

"Your mindscape. Now turn around. If you laugh, I swear I have no problem biting off your ankles and ripping out your throat. I'm not sealed inside you _nearly _as well as I was inside the boy."

Intrigued by the statement about sealing, Kakashi forced himself to his feet and spun around. At his feet was a two-foot tall fox, snarling at him with all of the rage it could muster. It would have been terrifying if it were not so small. A small smile tugged at his lips, but quashed it when the fox bore it's long canines and gnashed it's teeth convincingly.

"Kakashi, he won't hesitate to do what he said," murmured an amused voice to the left of him. Kakashi glanced to the left, recognizing the amused chuckle that followed the bit of advice.

"...Naruto? You're dead..._I'm _dead. What is this?" '_I'm beginning to _sound _like Naruto with the way I'm asking all these questions,' _mused Kakashi, scratching the back of his head. The fox before sat back on its haunches, licking its lips.

"This," purred the fox, "Is your mindscape. However, it's far less imaginative than that idiot's. He had me in a sewer cell—"

"Hey! I couldn't change that! That was the seal—"  
The fox snarled viciously, cutting him off. "You didn't try too hard you ungrateful little shit. Now shut up, the adults are talking."

'_You hardly look like an adult..._' thought Kakashi, raising an eyebrow.

"Respect your elders, Hatake, I'm hundreds of years older than you," snarled the fox.

Kakashi lifted his hands in a gesture of sheepish apology. "You heard that? Sorry... I didn't think I said anything.

"You didn't!" laughed Naruto, stepping toward them so that he could clap Kakashi on the back and give him a noogy. "_But _we _are _inside your head! So... we kind of hear everything you say. Or, more accurately, we're sealed into the area between your shoulder blades. Do you remember the night that the village was destroyed?"

Kakashi nodded, trying to repress the onslaught of painful images. He was horrified when he off to the right a large body of civilians appeared. He watched silently as they were destroyed by one of Deidara's bombs. It physically hurt him to watch that take place.

"Sorry, it's a side-effect of being in here. You create the scenery and when you think of things they appear in here. They go away when you stop thinking of them, but we won't. When you were injured and Sakura-chan was healing you, I had her knock you out so I could put a seal—"

"You _what? _Dammit, Naruto—"

"Shut up." Naruto's voice echoed loud and clear. It was the voice of authority that Kakashi had rarely seen the blonde use. This was a matter of importance and it was better for him to shut up and listen to what the kid had to say. "I put the seal on you so that it could store chakra from both the Kyuubi and I. In the event that I would die, it would react and all of the Kyuubi's chakra would be used to perform the jutsu that required the seal and intentions that you had. It was a last ditch effort to protect Konoha and now we have that chance.

"I sealed you with the Eien Fuschichou Fuuin. I had to die to give it to you, and the Kyuubi had to supply most of the power, but I made the primary seal for it before I performed the final seal. That gave me time to store the chakra. I needed to make sure I had enough when I did it, because I knew I would have to wait until I was on the brink of death. It has to be selfless death, you see. Even if I wanted to I couldn't have sent myself back. I didn't have the foresight to perform the tasks necessary, anyway. I also... I know you didn't always do the right thing with the training of the group. I used to resent you for it...

"I thought that you just didn't like me and couldn't stand me, but I... I did speak to Gai-sensei as the war got worse and it wasn't until I talked to him that I realized just how screwed up your situation was. You were just like me. Almost, anyway..."

Kakai stared at Naruto blankly for a moment before the visible bits of his face erupted into a masked display of rage. He leaped at Naruto, his fists closing around the boy's throat before Naruto could protest. "This isn't a _game, _Naruto! You can't just _do _this to people! I don't want to live through this again! I wanted to die! I was ready to _die!_ You know I'd follow you the end of the fucking world, but you do _this?_ Do you even..."

Releasing the sputtering twenty-year old, the gray-haired ninja turned around, crouching down to cover his head. He let out a frustrated groan as he tried to process the information. "You didn't even ask me. Didn't you ever wonder why I never talked about my family?"

Naruto stared at the floor, a sad frown marring his expression. "I figured you didn't talk about them for a reason. But... It was a risk I had to take."

"A risk? It's my _fucking life, _Naruto! You can't just-"

"Yes, I can, Kakashi. Hokage. It's my job to protect the village." Kakashi could tell that Naruto's eyes were watery with tears that begged for forgiveness, but he was too angry to care.

"What if I don't want to do this? What if I _can't _do this? Everyone I know dies! Everyone I get close to dies..." Kakashi plopped down onto the floor, a humorless laugh escaping him. "You know, I thought this was hell when I woke up. It is, in a way."

"Grow up, Kakashi!" snapped Naruto. "I know this sucks—I admit. It realy sucks. But what would you have me do? I had a chance to protect Konoha and I _took _it. You were the only one fit for the job. Why? _Because _you don't want it. If you think for a second I'm doing this for seflish reasons, then you're wrong. I gave up my life—almost gave up my _sanity_ for this village. You only get _one _shot to do this and I..."

Kakashi looked up, tugging his mask away from his face so that he could use the arms of his sleeves to wipe away his tears. "You what?"

"I can't be Hokage again..." Naruto sank down the ground next to Kakashi. "I can't. I don't want it. You have to see the people who died. I had to send them to their death. I killed them..."

Kakashi sniffed loudly, wrapping an arm around his student. "You and your father are so alike it scares me, gaki."

Naruto looked up at him with a sad smile. "I wish I got to know him."

"Me too..." Kakashi sighed, looking on as the Kyuubi fox chased valiantly after his own tail. It looked so completely and utterly ridiculous they had to laugh in spite of themselves. Kakashi sighed again when Naruto rested his head against his mentor's shoulder. "I thought of his my own father, you know...I never said it, but... he was the closest thign to a dad that I could remember. I should have been the one to tell you. I just... I couldn't. It hurt so much to have to look at you and know that you were his son and I couldn't do anything. Hiruzen couldn't allow me to teach you anything more than what I did, or his counsel would've tried to have you exterminated as a threat to the village. Danzo was always trying to get his hands on you when you were little... it was a lose-lose situation. I _should _have done more. I should have defied their orders. I almost got you killed so many times. I had all those chances to save people and I didn't... because of my own stupid ideals I didn't-"

"But you _will, _Kakashi. I put the seal on your before hand for another reason. It could read your emotions. It's an old seal, invented by the Shodai Hokage. Why do you think you were drawn to that statue during the Battle at the Valley of the End? I knew you were there. I _knew _you were alive. Sakure-chan knew all about my plan. She was the only one. She suggested you. I almost sent her back, so she could save Sasuke-teme, but she said I was selfish and that was a stupid reason to send her back. I guess you were the only one who could change everything and she said you deserved it the most."

Kakashi smiled slightly as he eyed the white space beneath his feet. He was smiled as the white faded to green, and grass began to form. "Sakura-chan... she's the savior of Team Seven. How ironic that we always thought her the weakest... she had the most strength of all of us, at least in the end... Therefore, the first addition to this place will be a tree in her honor. Hell, she gets a forest of Sakura trees. "

Naruto scrambled away from Kakashi, jumping to his feet just so he could stamp his feet angrily. "You baka! I brought you back here to give you another chance and you give _her _the forest?"

Kakashi looked up, completely unsurprised by his outburst. He was pleased to see that Naruto had an amused glint in his eye. "Ah, but I'm fixing everything for you, eh? Although... there's so much more that I can fix now. How did you... how did you bring me back here?"

"Heh heh heh, it wasn't hard," chuckled Kyuubi. "I just had to find a somewhat significant date. I didn't want to bring you back while you were sitting on the toilet or anything. How anticlimactic would _that _have been? Nah.. so I picked this date. I'm not completely ruthless. Being sealed up inside that damned cage all the time... I tell ya it pissed me off me more than anything. But, I digress. Naruto wanted you to have a chance to fix your own life since you're saving the village. He promised me that this would save my ass as well, so I agreed to grant him the chance. If you even _think _of fucking things up though, I swear to Kami I will _rip_ your balls-"

"Hey, hey, let's not go there, eh?" propositioned Kakashi, unconsciously covering himself with his hands. "Thank you... I—you have no idea what this means."

Naruto smiled cheekily and clapped him on the back again. "Just don't fuck it up. It's not gonna be easy. You can't tell anybody but those we approve of. Or it will cause major consequences. If you run about and tell everyone and someone stronger comes along and kills them, the information can be picked right out of their head if they get someone smart enough. Not likely, but it's still a risk I'm _not _willing to take. Not when Konohagakure is on the line. No one below Jonin and no one who isn't instrumental in fixing it. In short, not your father."

Kakashi nodded as he began to extract himself from his mindscape.

"Oh, one more thing Kaka-sensei. You're going to need to retrain your body."

Kakashi paused, his mind whirling as he computed. "Retrain?"

"Well yeah. This is your body at six. We have gone back through time. Not a time jump, but literally we reversed time with this jutsu. It can only be done once in a lifetime. The bijuu together conferred on the matter and can donate their strength to one of the bijuu so that he can pass on the power. Even though Madara had harnessed them, that was a formality. He had their physical manifestations but not their literal souls. They lent power to Kurama and he... lent it to us. That's what we had to do. You can only do this jutsu with the power of the bijuu, your own life, and someone with the intentions of good. Bijuu aren't evil. They're just selfish and crude-" Naruto broke off as the small version of Kyuubi began to viciously bite at his ankles. "Ouch! Stop it you furry little freak! But anyway, we couldn't time jump. Otherwise you'd be at the same age as you were in your own time-line and that would just be a cluster-fuck of issues... So... don't fuck this up. You don't get to go back. Your brain can't take it. We had to compress and literally un-grow your body which took an enormous amount of effort—especially on Kyuubi's part. The effect hit him, too, and that's why he's so small. By the time you hit puberty though, he'll have fully developed again."

Kakashi nodded wearily. "This... is going to be hard. How am I supposed to face everyone? The minute I saw my father I thought of him killing himself. When... when I see everyone else I'm going to think of them dying as well! How am I supposed to deal with that?"

"Well... The only thing I can think of is to creep around and spy on everyone you can that way you can practice and get things like that out of the way before you have to talk to them. You know? But... it won't get easier. I... I could never forgive myself when I had to keep sending people out to die. I have a lot of plans, but we have to wait awhile before we get to them. I don't know what will happen whe I see them—we'll be able to see what you see unless you ask us not to watch or you seal us off so we can't experience your thoughts for a while... I just hope that my emotions don't influence yours. You're going to relive your life. And make it better. Take solace in that, okay?"

With a nod and a brief smile that neither Naruto or Kyuubi could really see beneath his mask, Kakashi withdrew from his mindscape and back into his conscious state.

He was surprised to see that his father was crouching over him as though he had only just fallen. He felt as though he'd been gone for hours, but in reality he'd only been gone a few seconds. That was... fortunate, actually.

"I think you hit me a bit too hard," he chuckled, attempting to play off the situation. "Maa, we should get some breakfast before we go off to work and training, eh?"

Sakumo nodded, grinning as they both stood up. They trekked to the kitchen in comfortable silence, Kakashi plopping down at the table as he waited for breakfast. When it finally arrived, he groaned inwardly. His father was a terrible cook.

**Author's Note: Anti-climactic I know. -_- BUT. I have already begun the next chapter and this seemed like a better cut-off point. Also, to my Hatake Naruto fans, apologize for not updating as promised, but... COME ON. this is better. So much better. It legitimately has the potential to be the best thing I've written thus far. **

**Flame away. I need criticism. But please be constructive. I want to make this a good one, not get discouraged. Also... I don't know if there will be a pairing for Kakashi but I want to do some really off the wall pairings for a few of the people. Definitely no Naru/Hina or Sasu/Saku. No yaoi. But... ANYWAY. **

**_REVIEW PLEASE._**_ **IT FUELS MY INSPIRATION. **_**  
**

Lauren. :]


	2. The Smoldering Remains

**Quick note; I'm so happy for the response to this! Gah. :D You guys make me happy. I hope this story lives up to your expectations. Cut me down if I do it wrong, but tell me how and I'll do my best to fix what I do wrong. :]]**

**Chapter Two: The Smoldering Remains**

'_Time after time, I'm going in blind... I don't know which way I need to go.' _Going in Blind, by P.O.D. [It's safe to assume that all the lyrics I post for each chapter could be listened to as "Mood music." LOL

THROWING UP WAS probably not the best reaction he could have had to seeing his sensei, but he supposed it could have been worse.

He was early. He'd thought that if he got there early, he'd be able to see them coming and get himself under control before they got close enough to notice that something was off about him. He sat at the edge of the clearing, hoping that he'd be at least a little bit hidden so that he'd have a chance to school his features. But any pretense of being "in control" vanished when Minato came strolling up to the field, smiling lightly. He seemed so young, so happy... so... free.

Kakashi had to run as fast as he could to get far enough away that he could uncover his face and vomit. He prayed that he'd be done by the time Minato got any closer, but he knew that was unlikely. As he wretched, doubled over on his hands and knees, he couldn't help but wonder if the others had arrived yet and could hear him. That only made his stomach seize up even more violently as the images of death began to swirl.

Kakashi leaned back, pulling his mask up before resting his hands gravely on his knees. _'Get it together,_' he thought angrily, trying to calm his racing heart. With a soft sigh he rose to his feet and turned around, intending to walk back to the clearing as slowly as possible to put off seeing his sensei. He swore under his breath when he bumped into an unmoving wall of resistance.

He stepped back in surprise, flicking a kunai into his hand with practiced skill. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that it was his sensei, staring down at him with a peculiar expression. "M-Minato-sensei..."

Minato narrowed his eyes, immediately noticing the panic and intense misery in Kakashi's eyes before it abruptly vanished, replaced by the boy's usual, lazy demeanor. "Kakashi... Are you ill?"

Kakashi snorted, as he supposed he would have in his youth. "No. I ate breakfast with tou-san. I forgot that he can't cook."

"... How'd you forget? You live with the man." Minato laughed, poking Kakashi on the shoulder. "Although, I'm pretty sure I told you not to eat. We're playing cat-and-mouse today- and you're the mouse."

The gray-haired youth groaned, clutching his stomach. He turned away, scouting for his teammates before he remembered that he was the only one for Minato to train at the moment. Rin and Obito wouldn't be on his team for another three years. Minato marched off to stretch and go through some katas, while Kakashi stared at the ground. He could feel Minato's eyes on him, but he knew that there was nothing to be done about it.

The sorrow that swelled within him like a tidal wave was impossible to quash. Kakashi could only resort to viciously slinging kunai and shuriken at the targets around him, swirling and doing bizarre maneuvers in the air that would make it harder to hit his target. Even though he hit all of his targets dead-on, the actions still depressed him. He was immediately reminded of Sasuke and all of the rigorous training that he knew the boy underwent.

Kakashi growled in frustration and kicked a tree. Why did he have to be the one to do this? He couldn't help the feelings of resentment that were beginning to cloud his mind. He _knew _he'd been given a great chance to redeem himself and save everyone. That didn't make it any easier on him to have to see everyone that he'd witnessed dead or painfully dying. He couldn't walk down the street without being overcome with the urge to hyperventilate and cry like a child.

Was he even capable of doing this? Why didn't he get to die and just give up like everyone else? The only solace he found in the situation was knowing that, of anyone to come back with him, Naruto had to be the best person for the job. He was one of the few who knew what it was to lose those close to him.

Kakashi continued to kick the tree, his taijutsu form perfect as he savagely kicked again and again. He relished the feeling of pain that coursed throughout his body. It eased the pain in his mind, even if only slightly. Again and again, he assaulted the overgrown plant until his leg pushed through the bark, striking against the solidness of the wood within. It hurt, but he refused to stop. If he stopped, he knew he'd lose whatever composure he had left.

The feel of a gentle hand pressing against his shoulder snapped him out of his trance-like state and he found himself reacting, once again, with the reflexes of a Jonin. He whirled around, kunai in hand, sliding painfully into a defensive stance. Again, it was Minato. Kakashi gasped in confusion and dropped the kunai, sinking to the ground. This wasn't going to work. He couldn't do this.

"What's wrong?"

Kakashi closed his eyes, calling upon his ANBU training to help regain his composure. He was steady. Calm. Even heartbeat. Count your breaths. Don't divulge. Half-truths are more believable than whole truths. Steady your hands. Relax your posture. "Nothing... just a bit frustrated, I think." He forced out a sheepish chuckle. "Eating garbage for breakfast kind makes me miss my Mom."

Minato smiled, offering a hand to help Kakashi up off the ground. "Maa, don't beat yourself up so much. Some medical ninja is going to have to heel your leg if you keep at it like you are now. You did a number on it, gaki." Kakashi reddened beneath his mask. Fuck. He couldn't stop screwing up. He didn't want to risk a chance to the hospital. Rin was still in the academy, but he didn't want to risk meeting her—she had a knack for showing up when he didn't want her to.

Kakashi sat down to clear his mind as he waited on the rest to arrive, trying to ignore Minato's suspicious eye. He was only a little bit surprised to find himself whisked off to his mindscape again.

"I—I'm sorry, Kakashi! I'm really sorry, I think that was my fault," gasped Naruto, furiously scrubbing at his eyes. Kakashi frowned when he saw that Naruto's face was shiny with tears and his nose was leaking snot. If only Hinata-chan could see him now...

"How was it your fault?" sighed Kakashi, rubbing his hand down his face in a weary gesture.

Naruto sniffed loudly, grabbing the little fox so that he could hug it and have something to cuddle with for a moment. The fox protested loudly, biting his hand before scampering away. "I... I dunno, I just got _so_ sad when I saw him. He... He looks so happy-"

"It's mine, too, I suppose," growled Kyuubi, licking himself to smooth his fur as he glared at Naruto disdainfully. "I feel rather bad about attacking the village, but it couldn't be helped at the time. Madara... He controlled me."

Kakashi practically shouted in frustration, materializing both a kunai and a random body at the same time. He began to viciously stab the body over and over again, trying to vent his anger. When that didn't work, he breathed out a Katon jutsu without seals. Satisfied at the burnt, smoking heap of flesh, he sank onto the floor and held his head in his hands. "I can't do this. I can't. My emotions are crazy enough, but I have to deal with my own mine and you two's as well? I... ugh."

"Just hang in there. I have a plan. But it needs time to come into play. Please. I know you can make it. Just... if kicking the tree felt good start training with Gai-sensei! It'll keep your mind off things," Naruto suggested, smiling devilishly at the thought of Kakashi in a green-jumpsuit. "I can see it now... the Beast and the Mysterious Beauty—double Dynamic Entry!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes in agitation when the image popped into being next to Naruto, who immediately burst into giggles. "I'll be back later to beat the shit out of you, baka."

Naruto was still laughing when the older ninja withdrew from his mindscape. Ah, well, he had to get his kicks somehow, seeing as he was stuck inside Kakashi, eh? It seemed that the only ones left to prank were Kyuubi and Kakashi, and Kyuubi was more prone to biting him than Kakashi was.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"YOU'VE GOT TEN seconds head start," whispered Minato, leaning in to poke Kakashi on the shoulder. He chuckled when Kakashi narrowed his eyes with determination. Kakashi's other two teammates had been too badly injured in the Chunin exams; he almost felt bad that he couldn't even remember their names, until he remembered that they were inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

Kakashi booked it as fast as his body would take him. It was utterly frustrating to move so slowly. He was so used to his old speed that now it felt as though he were moving through molasses. His body didn't react quickly enough when he tried to shift around a tree, resulting in him clipping it with his shoulder. Even at his seemingly-slow speed, it was enough force to tilt his momentum, sending him flying.

'_How did I make Chunin again?' _he though exasperatedly, flipping himself over mid-air so that he landed less than gracefully on the tree branch below him. '_I feel like I'm wading through syrup!'_

'_You're still pretty fast for a six year-old, baka!' _chided Naruto. Kakashi mused absently at Naruto's reaction, picturing Naruto's expression and how he'd likely shake a fist at him. Ah, that did make him feel better.

Kakashi gasped in surprise when suddenly Minato was upon him, striking out with a kunai. "You're going to have to do better than that, Kakashi!"

With a grunt, he forced himself to run faster. '_Don't think... react,' _he reminded himself, jerking to the left when he heard the distinct whistle of a kunai hurtling towards him.

He felt the apples of his cheeks raised slightly, the result of a soft smile. He enjoyed the feel of wind in his hair and blood pumping through his veins. It was the liquid freedom of a natural high that wouldn't quit until he did.

The leaves rustled gently at he grabbed a branch with both hands, swinging himself higher up into the foliage so that he could perch for a moment and regroup. He needed to work on his sensory training—his younger body's senses were far less tuned in and wise to the world. It was quite annoying, actually.

'_Use some Kage Bunshin,' _suggested Naruto. Kakashi rolled his eyes.

'_No! I don't know how to do that yet. It'd be too suspicious._'

Naruto was silent for a moment. _'You know, I'm surprised I made Hokage. I'm kind of an idiot.'_

Kakashi repressed a chuckle as he took off again, catching sight of a flash of blonde hair. It was strange to think that Naruto had to wait until he was in someone else's heads to realize that he was foolish sometimes. Better late than never, though.

The next half-hour was spent with Kakashi on a constant move, trying to find a decent hiding spot in the field. His anger and bitter feeling were still there, just beneath the surface, but he did his best to quash them. They didn't bubble up to the surface again.

Minato caught up with him; Kakashi didn't dare think that he'd actually done a good job. He knew Minato could have found him in about a minute if he was actually trying. After Minato caught up with him, he said that was enough for the day because he had to go off on a mission as well. Kakashi had nodded tightly, turning away to kick a tree again, albeit more calmly this time. Minato quirked a confused brow and then departed in a swirl of leaves.

After his sensei disappeared, Kakashi slumped against the tree, completely spent. His little body just couldn't keep up with his intentions. He lazed about for twenty minutes, wishing plaintively that he had something to read. He'd even settle for a boring magazine with only boring articles at this point.

Lifting himself to his feet with a resigned scowl, he began to drag himself home. So much for never having a problem with Minato-sensei's training. Admittedly, he'd worn himself out a little by venting his frustrations on that tree and his migraine wasn't helping him any, but... Kakashi hated being this weak. It was utterly annoying to go from having the strength of an adult Jonin to the body of a child at six years old. He'd been promoted to Chunin, but... he wasn't as good as the Chunin of the future generation. He needed to be better.

It was war time; at times of war, countries often pushed their shinobi up to through the ranks faster than was technically appropriate in an order to bolster the higher ranks and create strength. Kakashi sighed as he walked along, angrily kicking a stray pebble out of his path. He needed to be stronger, become better—do _more. _He'd never protect the village if he didn't.

A small smile formed on Kakashi's lips as he neared his home. He was only beginning. This was day one. He had time yet to save everyone, but for now... his focus was his father. Kakashi could forgive his father for leaving him when he did, but he could never forgive himself for not telling his father what he meant to him before the man was gone. He wouldn't make that mistake this time.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"OI, OTOU-SAN, I was wondering if you could teach me some of the clan jutsu..." Kakashi anxiously shifted his weight from one foot the other and then scuffed the dirt with the bottom of his ninja sandal. In the future, he'd learned a lot of the clan jutsus from the scrolls his father had left behind; asking the man to teach him was a little bit nerve-wracking. Kakashi was slightly worried that his father would say he wasn't ready to learn them yet.

"Hmm, aren't you a little young for that stuff, gaki? Although... I do suppose you're of the proper rank to learn them. Hmm... All right. But first... you have to go pick up a package for me."

Kakashi huffed in irritation, folding his arms across his chest.

"Ah, see, _this _is why you can never take off that mask, boy. You're too emotional for your own good. Though, I suppose that's my fault," his father teased, ruffling his hair. Kakashi rolled his eyes and started to stomp off before turning back to stare at his father.

"You know... you're lucky I love you. Otherwise I'd hit you, but instead..." Kakashi smirked evilly beneath his mask. "Orioke no Jutsu!"

He cackled gleefully as his father attempted to stem the blood flow from his nose and failed.

'_You thief!' _Naruto chuckled in his mind, the loud raucous laughter increasing the pounding sensation in his head. '_By the way... I never knew _that _was why you had to wear the mask. That's _so _much less cool now...'_

Kakashi chuckled to himself, pleased for once that Naruto was trapped inside his mind. '_What can I say? I'm hopeless.'_

A long walk later—which painfully reminded Kakashi just how much this new body _sucked _in comparison to his usual one—Kakashi found himself standing before the humble book store that he knew very well. He often took to picking up packages and various other things for his father here, though it only struck him many years later that he was picking up the smutty Icha-Icha books for his father.

Naruto was poking fun at him the whole trek home, but for some odd reason Kakashi didn't particularly mind. This wasn't so bad... in this moment, he felt capable of the task at hand. He knew that he wouldn't always be at peace with his role in protecting Konoha, but it was helpful to know that he wouldn't always be at odds with himself.

He even stopped to pick a small sunflower for his father. He was a little bit relieved that no one was there to witness his small show of humanity. It was strange to be able to be so free with himself after having forced himself into a life of false aloofness. Kakashi smiled lightly beneath his mask before quashing the expression. Just in case, he told himself, he'd need to stay on alert and continue to school his features. It could never hurt to be in control.

Upon entering his home, Kakashi set the flower on the table, pausing to inhale the smell of his home as it was with his father inhabiting it. He'd never realized how different it smelled without his presence until his father was gone. That small realization had left him sometime later in life, but it returned to him full force as he re-remembered his childhood home.

The back door opened directly into the kitchen, which was relatively normal sized, as far as kitchens go. There was a small table just off-center of the honey-colored room. It was pushed slightly to the left, so that it was slightly in front of the wide doorway that led into the living room. This room was big, with a small television and various weapon racks. A small fireplace was on the nearest to the kitchen, and the front door on the wall farthest from the kitchen. His father sat of the table that was off-center, so that he could see whoever came to the door. His father was more paranoid than he was, though he didn't show it nearly as much.

Kakashi sighed in appreciation as he basked in the glory of the room. This room had always been his favorite. He didn't remember his mother; she'd died when he was very young. However, his father had taken extra means to protect him when he was growing up. His father had begun training him as soon as he could walk—he was determined not to lose Kakashi as he had his mother. Perhaps this was what had driven him to take up the philosophy of taking care of his teammates first and the mission second. Kakashi couldn't help but feel slightly guilty as he eyed the various tools that his father had saved over the years.

On a small peg was the kunai from Kakashi's first bulls-eye at age four. It had been a lucky throw, but his father kept it all the same. There were similar shuriken, a first pair of ninja sandals, all the way up to his first lost-tooth (his father had it sealed inside a small box). The tooth was the most recent; Kakashi snorted slightly when he realized that he would be losing his teeth all over again.

He pressed a hand against the sage-green walls as he tried to get a grip on himself. He was still learning to cope, but it hurt to be reminded of how unappreciative he'd been of his father's doting at the time. It had been too late before he realized just how much he treasured his few years with his father.

"I'm sure she'd be proud of you too, ya know."

"Huh?" Kakashi turned around quickly, surprised by the sound of his father's voice. Crap, he needed an excuse.

"Your mother," said Sakumo. Ah, there was an excuse already made up for him. Sakumo shrugged and then smiled, scratching the back of his neck. "She'd be so proud of you. Might even tell me to let you take it take it easy sometimes. But, it seems that you take after me in your desire to improve yourself, ne?"

Kakashi chuckled ruefully, sighing theatrically. "I wish I knew her," he said truthfully, tilting his head back and to the side. "Maybe I'd be more..." He trailed off, knowing that his idea of being emotionally unapproachable by women as a result of not having a mother wasn't something that a six-year old would ever understand. "Well, I think that maybe I'd be less prone to skipping meals if she was still around."

His father laughed heartily, his cheeks blushing with faint embarrassment. "Yes, she was definitely a better cook than I ever was..."

"Or ever will be!" jeered Kakashi, laughing good-naturedly. "Now, can you teach me some moves?"

His father nodded, walking out to the kitchen to pick up the sunflower. "Ah, one of my favorites," he mused, his mouth curling up to one side. "Practical and pretty..." He set the flower down again, sighing heavily. "All right, well let's go."

Sakumo departed with long, ground-eating stride that forced Kakashi into a light jog in order to keep pace. The white-haired Jonin moved back into the living room, turning left down the long hallway that lead past various bedrooms to the training area Kakashi had frequently used when his father was alive. Kakashi immediately vowed to himself that he would become stronger; maybe then his father would be able to survive? He banished the thought, realizing that his own strength had nothing to do with his father's suicide. He'd have to find a way...

Kakashi emitted a startled cry when he bumped into his father, who had stopped short in front of him.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? You can't even pay attention to wh-"

"Yes! I was just thinking, that's all." Kakashi ducked his head in shame, biting his lip as he forced himself into control over every muscle in his body. There; that was better. It was getting easier and easier.

His father gave him a long, searching look before sighing and walking slowly across the smooth, wooden floor of the room, his ninja sandals silent on the hard surface. He moved to a weapon rack, shifted an old, battered sword that hadn't seen the thrill of a battle in nearly a century to the left, revealing a small crack in the wall. Kakashi hadn't noticed this crack until he'd gained the Sharingan and was trying to figure out how to use it. His father produced a few small scrolls and then turned around to face Kakashi with a soft smile on his face.

"I remember when my father agreed to teach me this. I was ten years old when I made Chunin, you know. I'm so proud of you..."

Kakashi beamed beneath his mask. "Thanks, tou-san. I... I have found my nindo."

"Oh?" His father looked up from the scrolls in his hand, an amused smile playing across his lips. He selected the largest scroll, turned to replace the others, and then turned back to his son, putting his thumb in his mouth as he did so. With a sharp bite, his incisor sank through the flesh of his thumb, producing a few droplets of blood which Sakumo calmly smeared across the seal. The smoke cleared as the simple seal was undone. Sakumo calmly opened the scroll, his eyes flickering across the encased knowledge with a simple casualness that made Kakashi feel uneasy. His father considered the scroll for another moment before closing it and looking up at his son again. "And what would that be?"

Kakashi swallowed the lump of apprehension in his throat and steeled himself. "I know that you worry about your teammates. Those who abandon their teammates are trash and all that... but, I think the mission is also important." His father's eyes narrowed slightly when Kakashi paused. Kakashi smirked slightly, because his father was completely wrong in his assumption. "Ah, chichi, perhaps you need a mask yourself? I haven't finished. I think the mission is important, but I _do _think keeping my teammate is more important than anything. I... I want to protect my precious people _and _complete my mission. That way... that way I can make everyone happy."

Sakumo smiled, chuckling lightly. "Ah, Kakashi, my little shinme, I see you've finally grown into a great ninja. Ninja are tools but... we are much stronger when we strive towards a goal that has meaning to us. Tools are useless when they have to be controlled every step of the way. I just hope that... I hope that you do not lose sight of who you are in your efforts to please others."

Kakashi snorted in annoyance; his father had killed himself because of his displeasure at having failed his mission and been scorned by others. Kakashi winced when Naruto began to verbally berate him inside his head. Thus, he pushed the thoughts of annoyance from his mind, nodded obediently, and complied with his father when instructed to kneel down on the floor.

The elder ninja calmly joined his son on the floor, spreading out the scroll before the two of them. "This is the most basic of the jutsu. However, in the beginning of the scroll are chakra control exercises that you _must _master before I will begin to teach you jutsu. Our clan has... an interesting conundrum. Our jutsus consume massive amounts of chakra and yet we are plagued by small chakra reserves. I fully expect you to begin these exercises, master them, and begin increasing your reserves."

Kakashi nodded absently, his eyes already skimming over the text that he had all but memorized already. He had spent hours learning this by himself as a teenager. After Obito's death, his familial connections to the world were all but gone and he was trying to find a way to keep those connections from fading permanently. He knew that time was short, but he needed to relearn these and master them completely so that his father could teach him the more advanced jutsu that wasn't in the other scrolls. He hadn't found it anywhere inside the house—and he'd looked _very thoroughly. _That meant that any of the more advanced jutsus belonging to his family were either directly passed down or hidden incredibly well somewhere else.

"Start with the dirt one... wait. We need to check your affinity-"

"It's lightning."

"... Oh. When did you learn that?"

"Minato-sensei gave me the paper-test the other day," lied Kakashi, chiding himself for speaking without thinking. Now he had to tell his sensei that his father had given him the test. If he wasn't careful he was going to muck up the future.

"Ah, well good! I like the initiative! That's just as well, because our family specializes in lightning based jutsus. Among other things..." Sakumo smiled brightly and then turned back to the scroll. "Okay, well, Doton jutsus won't be the easiest for you to learn, but you can develop your affinity for Earth jutsus are you go. You'll probably never be a master, but hard work can get you anywhere as long as you stick with it."

Kakashi curved his eye up into his patented 'eye-smile,' wishing that his father would get on with it already. He'd heard all of this before. As if reading his mind, his father chuckled and pointed to the third technique on the scroll.

"I know this isn't the first one, but I want you to learn this one first. It makes learning the first technique easier. We're going to go outside and you're going to do what the scroll says and I'm not going to help you. I'll tell you if you do something wrong, though."

Kakashi swore when his father shunshin'd away. Grabbing the scroll with an irritated sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and sprinted outside as quickly as he could. His father laughed when he received a dark glare from Kakashi, but otherwise ignored the boy.

Settling his youthful body onto the ground in a cross-legged position, Kakashi unrolled the scroll only far enough to see the technique he needed to learn. '_Fuketsu Hira... what kind of dirty palms are we talking about here, Kakashi? Have you been masturbating aga-"_

_'_No! _It's talking about the dirt, hakuchi!" _Kakashi exhaled slowly, trying to clear his mind. How had he mastered this the first time? Oh, that's right... through laborious hard work. Kakashi groaned, trying to remember the tricks that had worked for him as he re-read the scroll.

The seals were simple enough; the list wasn't even long. Uma, Hitsuji, Tatsu. Kakashi racked his brain trying to remember what it was that he'd done to bend it to his style the last time he'd mastered this jutsu. He'd never used it for anything; the only thing it had helped with was introducing him to Doton jutsus. Kakashi exhaled slowly, lifting his hands in front of him. He felt his father's gaze focus upon him immediately, but reminded himself that he was a Jonin, not a six-year old, and refocused himself.

His fingers almost clumsily took form of the seals. Horse first, then Ram, then Tiger. After a practice run through, to test the speed of his sealing, Kakashi grimaced and cracked his fingers. He'd have to work on that as well.. Oh well, it wasn't something he could fix immediately.

Centering his mental focus on the task at hand and relaxing his body, he reform the seals carefully, calling upon his meager amounts of chakra to perform the jutsu. He felt the chakra come forth willingly and then felt his palms grow warm. He sighed when there were only a slight dusting of dirt—the palms in the scroll were covered with dirt, almost an inch of it.

He formed the seals again, faster and more deliberately this time. Beneath his mask he scowled, demanding his chakra to obey him. He could hear his father tsk in approval, nodding his head at Kakashi's intense desire to prevail. Kakashi formed the Tori seal, forcing as much chakra into his hands as he could. He was rewarded with a thin layer of grime on his palms.

"Admittedly, this is much better than I had hoped for, shinme," mused Sakumo, a pleased smile gracing his lips. Kakashi looked up in surprise; he'd been rather unimpressed with his results.

"Really? But the picture-"

"The picture shows how the technique will appear when you master it, which I know you will." Sakumo walked back to where Kakashi knelt on the earth so that he could tussle his hair, something he knew Kakashi loved but claimed to hate. "Now: do it again. If you're starting out like that, I expect this perfected before dinner. If you do... I _might _order you a new book."

Kakashi smiled slightly, remembering all of the times he and his father had went to the bookstore so his father could get him a new "kid appropriate" book for him to read at his leisure after pleasing his father somehow. "You got it."

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"WELL, WHAT WILL it be, eh?" Sakumo raised a brow as he watched Kakashi browse through the books on the shelves of the bookstore. Kakashi paused at the slightly more progressive kid's books and then forewent them all together, heading instead toward the back of the shop where ninja books were stacked neatly on the shelves. "Wh-... Are you looking to further your studies?"

"Mhmm." Kakashi hummed as he browsed the many titles, tapping his right index finger against his lip. He paused when he noticed a book on simple cooking for a ninja on the go, almost grabbed it, and then faltered again. With a soft gasp of appreciation, he pulled a thick tome free, grunting when the full weight of it fell into his hands. He eased himself onto his knees, setting it on the floor so he could stare at the cover of the book in awe.

His father sighed in irritation, stepping closer so he could read the title. "Fuin Theory? ...Aren't you a little bit young for that?"

Kakashi looked up at him, pleading in his eyes. "Please?"

"How much is it?"

"...420 Ryo..." [This equates to 50 US dollars, which equate to 4200 yen. Ryo is a 1 to 10 ratio with Yen. Therefore you get 420 Ryo. Yatta.]

"_What?! _No! No way in hell am I-"

"Tou-san, please? I'll pay you back, I promise!" begged Kakashi, doing his best to perform the puppy-dog eye trick that Sakura had often attempted to use on him. His father froze, his lip quivering. Kakashi mentally high-fived himself for perfecting it on the first try.

"W-what are you doing, Kakashi? You look like you took a kunai to the boys!" Sakumo burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as he leaned his head back to howl in amusement. Kakashi angrily jumped to his feet, leaping the extra few feet to smack the side of his fist against his father's head.

"Shut up! I'm cute, dammit!"

"Hey—ha! Hahaha! What did I tell you about your mouth?"

"I don't remember. I'm too busy looking like I took a kunai to the fun zone, remember?" Kakashi huffed, turning away from his father. Sakumo laughed a few more times before stooping to pick up the book.

"Ah... All right, I'll get it for you, but I'm only paying _half_. You owe me the other half."

Kakashi nodded happily, unable to forgo the act of clasping his hands in front of him in a greedy manner. He was excited to follow in the footsteps of his sensei.

The shop keeper gave him a strange look as his father paid for the book, but was otherwise silent about the exchange between the two of them. Kakashi was glad for that. Killing innocent bystanders didn't sit well with him.

As they walked home, Sakumo pointed out various bits of historical information about the village. Kakashi reveled in the sound of his voice; he'd forgotten how soothing it was to be in the company of someone that he trusted implicitly. He hadn't had the luxury in about twenty-one years. He trusted Naruto with his life, but he'd never felt at ease. A man is protection state of mind versus when he is in a relaxed state of mind.

His father tucked him in that night. He woke up with terrible nightmares again. He was ashamed that he woke his father up with his screams again.

The next day he continued to work with the Fuketsu Hira until he could produce a patch of dirt and inch-and-a-half thick. He was determined to perfect it before his father taught him anything more. After that, he began to cut back on the seals. First, he nixed the Tori seal at the end. The results were disastrous—his chakra was misguided and he ended up causing a small patch of dirt to arise beneath his mask. It wasn't he'd wanted, but it was interesting nonetheless. Sakumo had been endlessly amused.

That night, when he woke up with terrible nightmares of his father's suicide, he managed to keep from emitting a shrill scream. A small shout of terror was enough to rouse him from his dreams. He was tempted to call for his father, simply for the fact that he was there and no one liked to be alone after a dream like that. Instead, he crept outside to work on the jutsu some more. No matter how hard he tried, he kept ending up with a dirty forehead and bitter frustration. He didn't notice his father's door slipping silently shut as he trudged back to bed, tired to the bone and completely unable to rectify his jutsu conundrum.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

THIS TIME, IT was going to work. Kakashi was sure of it. He grunted as he forced his tired, aching hands to cooperate as he formed the first two seals and skipped the last one. Yet again, he found himself covered in dirt. Only this time, it wasn't just on his forehead. His mask was covered in a pseudo-beard of dirt and sweat. Kakashi groaned in frustration and flopped back on the ground, letting himself give in for a moment. He sighed again, not bothering to get up as he performed the three seals, trying to recognize the feel of his chakra as it cycled through him. On the last seal, he could feel the draw in his wrists as those tenketsu exuded more chakra.

Once more, he did the jutsu, forgoing the Tori seal at the end of the short sequence. He focused on his hands, recalling the sensation he'd felt just before when using the seal as a guide. A thin layer of dirt erupted on his palms. Only a trace of the grime appeared on his forehead. Kakashi smiled to himself as he exhaled heavily; he was starting to get the hang of things.

He carried on until lunch. He couldn't manage to get any further with the technique in terms of using less seals, but he was able to produce results that were more or less consistent. The amount of dirt appearing on his face was significantly less than the first time he'd attempted it.

Kakashi sighed as he trekked to Icharaku. He was unsure whether or not to be happy that Sakumo was off on a mission for a week. It meant he was left money to pay for his meals for the week—which also meant none of Sakumo's cooking—but also meant no Sakumo for a week.

He eased himself into the seat with a soft sigh, trying not to look too dejected as he ordered a bowl of miso ramen. Teuchi looked so much younger it was almost disconcerting. When Teuchi's wife waved at him, he waved back, whispering 'yo,' and crinkling his eyes into his famous smile.

When the bowl was set in front of him, he gripped the edges of his stool in an effort to keep from flailing about. Naruto was trying to take over so that he could experience the 'awesome love of ramen that is all things magical and lyrical and beautiful and wonderful!'

Ignoring the weird look from Teuchi, Kakashi surreptitiously selected a pair of chopsticks and broke them apart. "Itadakimasu," he murmured, biting his lip as he collected some noodles. The sound of footsteps and laughter jarred him from his thoughts of introspection.

"Kaa-san, I can't wait to start training with chichi! He's gonna start teaching me to throw the shuri… what are they again?"

"Shuriken," giggled the older woman, hugging him to her hip. "You're such a silly boy. If you're not careful you'll get kicked out of the Academy before you can even join!"

"Nuh-uh! I'm gonna be the best ninja ever. You'll see," the boy boasted, lifting his chin defiantly.

Kakashi immediately averted his eyes, remembering who the boy was. He didn't have the horizontal slash over his nose, but even back then he'd had the same distinct aura about him. It was a good one that Kakashi enjoyed. Not now, though. He couldn't bear to look at him.

"Gomen-sai," he muttered, flinging his money onto the counter before quickly departing. He couldn't deal with that right now. It made it about ten times worse that Naruto was mentally drowning himself in his tears. Kakashi peaked inside as he streaked across roof-tops, almost amused that Naruto was up to his knees in tears. Almost.

Kakashi didn't stray from the roofs for fear of seeing another familiar face. You'd have thought that in a place this big it would be hard to run into people you simultaneously wanted to never see again and wanted to run to immediately. '_Naruto, pull yourself together. You're gonna make me cry. Shinobi aren't supposed to cry.'_

_'I'm sorry! J-just pretend I'm not here!' _sniffed Naruto, the misery evident in his voice.

'_I'd almost be amused with your response if I wasn't so miserable myself,_' Kakashi thought, sighing heavily as he edged past another ninja trotting across the rooftop.

Naruto snorted loudly. Kakashi heard the sound of a thump, somehow knowing that it was Naruto throwing himself onto the ground of Kakashi's mindscape. "_Meh. Sorry.'_

_'It's okay, Naru-chan.'_

Naruto didn't object to the name, for which Kakashi was grateful. He wasn't in the mood to bicker. If an argument arose, he was sure that he would snap and verbally castrate someone.

Kakashi silently leapt from the roof, jogging towards his house as he tried to avoid human contact. The feel of air ruffling his clothing and mussing his hair was surprisingly refreshing. When he stopped to enter his house, he found himself not wanting to cease his running. So he didn't. Instead, he ran and ran until he came to the Memorial Stone he was so fond of. It was strange to see it without Obito's name carved into it.

**Author's Note: I would like to clarify that I am NOT going to skip straight to the Kakashi Gaiden arc. Things will happen in the seven years until then. HOWEVER, in this chapter he didn't make much progress. The chapter was getting on a bit and this felt like a right place to end it. Let it be noted that in the coming chapters I'm going to try to span about a year each chapter. This WILL slow down the updates and will also mean the chapters will get pretty damn long. I am sorry if that bothers you, but I actually like long chapters. **

**I know you all are probably anxious to get right into them changing the story line, but... that will take time and I'm determined to do this right. What kind of author would I be if I didn't take the time to flesh this out? **

**There are a few things I forgot to add into the last chapter, like definitions of the terms I'm using. I want everyone to be able to understand what they mean. I like learning new Japanese words, so here they are. [Some you probably know.] **

**GAKI: brat **

**KATA: ****A system of basic body positioning and movement exercises, as in karate or judo. **

**MAA: ****"now, now" ; a phrase used to placate someone**

**BAKA : Idiot**

**OTO-SAN: otou = father. In speech, just as with "okaa", this word is almost always used with an honorific. "Otousama" is very respectful, "Otousan" is general respect (this is the usual form you hear), "Otouchan" is informal and is sort of like saying "daddy". **

**Orioke no Jutsu: Sexy Technique (Naruto's, remember?)**

**SHINME: Sprout **

**DOTON: Earth Release**

**HAKUCHI: Moron **

**Fuketsu Hira: Literally "Dirty Palm" **

**ITADAKIMASU: ****let's eat!, here's to good food, etc. **

**GOMEN-SAI: (Also Gomen nasai, Gomen ne, or just Gomen) Sorry or I'm sorry **

**These are the names of the various hand seals: **

**TORI: Bird **

** INOSHISHI: Boar**

** INU: Dog**

** TATSU: Dragon**

** USHI: Ox**

** MI or HEBI: Snake**

**NEZUMI: Rat**

**UMA: Horse **

**SARU: Monkey**

**USAGI: Hare**

**HITSUJI: Ram**


	3. Afterburn

**750 views already? :l Geez. I put this up like two weeks ago. I feel kinda good about myself now, hahahaha. I'm sorry this chapter is so long! It just... happened.**

**Chapter Three: Afterburn**

_"If this is a lullaby, then why am I not sleeping easy?" _Lulled by Numbers, by IAMX.

THE SOUND OF silence can be quite disconcerting; Kakashi found this to be especially true as he stared at the target before him, his breath coming forth in heaving spurts that jarred his insignificant frame. It was so quiet, perhaps too quiet; the only sound to be heard was the sound of air whooshing harshly in and out of his lungs. He was exhausted, his body forced to a level that it had not yet experienced. Still, it was not enough. Naruto had possessed this much stamina when he was six. Kakashi knew this because he'd been part of the ANBU squad assigned to protect his closest student.

Kakashi dredged up more chakra, more than he should have, and tried to perform a Shunshin. His body protested; his joints ached and his muscles seized up in tandem, a wide-spread muscle cramp that erupted all over his body. Crying out in frustration and agony as he sank to his knees, Kakashi repressed the tears that brimmed in the corners of his eyes. It wasn't working. No matter what he did, his chakra reserves were not increasing in the slightest. He'd been at it for weeks and still he was no further along than he'd been before.

A side effect of his family was having smaller than usual chakra reserves but greater chakra control than most. His father didn't seem to have that problem—even by normal standards the man had large reserves—but that was only because his father had been working immensely hard from the time he was a kid. He knew more jutsu than Kakashi could ever even guess.

Again, he needed to try it again. He had to...

_'Are you crazy? Stop it! You don't have en-_'

_'Shut up, Naruto,_' snapped Kakashi, shoving the blonde's presence to the back of his mind. Naruto resisted, trying to overcome Kakashi and force him to stop, but he didn't know how. Kakashi exhaled angrily, trying to center himself. Bracing his hands on his knees, Kakashi pushed to straighten himself into a proper sitting position. Another push, this one requiring enormous concentration, and he was on his feet.

He could feel the pressure on the corners of his mind as Naruto tried to butt in and prevent him from continuing his training. Naruto should understand the drive to improve himself; it bothered Kakashi that he didn't.

His next attempt at a Shunshin hurt worst then the last. Black danced around the edges of his vision as his muscles screamed and clenched and his joints began to pop and groan. As his body hit the ground in a face plant, he couldn't help the tears that began to escape his eyes. His face connected unkindly with the earth and the darkness consumed him.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

THERE IS SOMETHING blissful about a state of unconsciousness for some people. Some people experienced the duration of that state as passing in the blink of an eye. Others experienced it as a time of reflection. Kakashi tended to experience it as a blissful state of unawareness since Naruto and the Kyuubi had joined his body. He floated through a sea of darkness, not thinking or caring about the various shades of black and gray that he encountered. He simply existed, enjoying the sound of his heart beating.

Of the few times that he'd been unconscious as of late, he was always sad to leave the peacefulness of oblivion. It was like the last dregs of an orgasm waning away and the feeling of wistfulness he felt when it was gone. This time, however, his feelings upon waking were that of complete and utter misery. His body was protesting with each breath he took and he didn't have the luxury of remembering for what reason.

With a soft grunt he opened his eyes, wincing as the sunlight assaulted his senses. A strange shape obstructed the glare of the blinding light, for which he was grateful. He tried to sit up as the object shifted, but found that he simply didn't have the strength to.

A small hand pressed against his chest as the dark blob moved closer. "Don' wanna do dat!" Was... was it giggling? It sounded like a child, probably a girl. "You're kinda stupid, ya know."

"So I've heard," he grunted, allowing whoever it was to assist him. The presence felt familiar.

"Are you firsty?" Kakashi couldn't help but giggle at the childish language.

"Yeah, actually. I don't suppose you have any sake, eh?" He snorted in amusement at the gasp of surprise and disapproval.

"You're not old enough for dat!" It was definitely a girl. He was surprise by her response, though. "But... I like sake. Don't tell but I stole some of the caretaker's once! Hehehe, you shoulda seen 'is face!"

Kakashi opened an eye curiously, trying to determine the girl's age. His vision was clearing up a bit, but not enough to gauge her age accurately. It was obvious that she had dark hair and fair skin, but beyond that he was clueless. "How old are you?"

"... What? Aren'cha supposed ta ask my name before you ask me how old I am?"

"Fine. What's your name?"

The girl giggled mirthfully and prodded him in the ribs. "Wouldn't you like to know!"

"Yeah, actually," he said with a sigh, ignoring the burning in his ribs where she had poked him. Kakashi grunted, forcing himself into a sitting position. He gasped when his muscles protested in unison.

"You're stupid! Stop dat! You're gonna make it hurt worse!" He was roughly shoved back to the ground. "Baka!"

Kakashi whimpered. Her forcing him back to the ground had hurt much worse than sitting back up. "I think... I think you broke a rib."

"I fink you need to shut up. You need to sleep. Dat's what dey always tell me when I get hurt!" She chuckled as if remembering some fond memory. "I told 'em not to let da udder kids touch my shit."

"Okay, seriously, who the hell are you?" Kakashi demanded, opening his eyes yet again. She had to be only about five years old from the roundness of her cheeks and her short stature.

"You first, wonder boy."

Kakashi scowled. "Hatake Kakashi."

"Mitarashi Anko!" she announced proudly.

He was almost sure that if he wouldn't have been so amused at the current situation he'd have shit his pants. "B-bahaha!"

"Hey! What's wrong wif my name?"

"N-nothing! I just—I just know someone you remind me of and it's really funny because she's like totally scary." In his mind, Kakashi and Naruto were rolling around on the floor with tears in their eyes from laughing too hard. Mitarashi Anko, one of Konoha's most feared kunoichis, was now a feisty four year old with a lisp. It was inconceivable, and yet, here they were.

"Hn. Well you know what, you'd better not make fun of me or I'll kick your ass! Don't think I won't! I'm gonna be a Genin soon, so you'd better—"

"Maa, maa, don't get so excited. I'm just kidding." Kakashi sighed in amusement, studying her features as his vision cleared. She was missing her two front teeth. Suddenly he was struck with the memory of kissing her when they were older. He gagged slightly at the thought of kissing a four year old and tried to erase the thought.

They sat there in silence for a moment until the girl whipped out a kunai and began cutting up blades of grass in boredom. Kakashi allowed himself a soft smile as he lay there, soaking up the rays of the sun. He lifted a hand to his face with a grimace, wondering if she'd taken the chance to look underneath his mask.

When he found it still in place he frowned slightly. "You didn't touch my mask did you?"

"Nah. I got in trouble for looking under duh caretakers mask once and he got really mad because he had scars... So I don't look under people's masks anymore. I guess dey're dere for a reason, eh?" She smiled cheekily at him, scrunching her eyes shut as she beamed. Kakashi nodded and then sighed.

"Do you know what time it is?"

She looked down at the grass, and then thought for a moment. "I think it was noon when I found you, but—"

"Noon? I was training at six in the afternoon yesterday!" Kakashi groaned, trying to sit up. His body protested and he halted for a moment.

Anko began to laugh, flopping back on the grass as she did so. Kakashi scowled and forced himself to his feet. Anko sat up with a panicked expression. "Wait! I'm sorry! You don't have to go!"

"I'm not leaving because of you... Tou-san'll freak out on me when I get home because I didn't even tell him I was going to train."

Anko paused, his face crinkling in confusion. "What? I fought... I fought you were like me..."

"Eh?"

"I fought you didn't have parents eiver."

Kakashi's shoulders sagged in realization. Anko had never ever told him about her parents. This explained why. "I'm sorry... I don't have a mom, if that makes you feel better."

She considered it for a moment before smiling. "Okay. Kinda does, but I feel bad for saying dat."

"Don't." He crinkled his eyes in a knowing smile and then tried to straighten up to his full height. "I gotta go, but... uh, well.. we should hang out or something. Throw some kunai and stuff, ya know?"

Anko smiled brightly, jumping up to hug him as tightly as she could. Kakashi tried not to grunt in pain as the air was forced out of him. "Fank you! Nobody's ever offered to train wiff me before!"

"I won't be around to train with if you don't stop suffocating me!"he grunted, trying to disentangle himself. Anko let him go with a sheepish grin.

"I guess dat'll teach ya to be so careless, hehehe." Anko sighed when she saw Kakashi trying to walk home. "... I can go get your Tou-san for you, if you don't—"

"I got this," he snapped. Realizing the hurt look on her face, he sighed. "You can come with me if you want... I might need some help. I just don't want him to know I couldn't make it home or he won't let me train for a week."

Anko clapped her hands giddily, refraining from hugging him this time. As they walked along, she chattered on and on about her life at the orphanage while he tried to take it all in. It was completely bizarre to him that Anko was so... adorable. The Anko he knew was cocky, boisterous, and unorthodox. Not to mention drop-dead sexy. This... it was strange.

By the time they made it to his house, it was dark out. Anko had her arm wrapped around him, tucked beneath his arm in an effort to help keep the taller boy on his feet. Kakashi was a little uncomfortable; Anko didn't seem to mind, though. His father's disapproving look spoke volumes.

"Where have you been?" Sakumo folded his arms across his chest, trying his best not to smile when Anko blushed and stepped back from Kakashi.

"Training."

"For two days?"

"Huh?" Kakashi raised a brow in confusion, trying to steady the shaking of his legs.

Sakumo grinned slightly. "I heard you went to train two evenings ago and no one's seen head or tail of ya since. Til' now that is."

Kakashi's flabbergasted look caused Sakumo to frown. "But... I thought you said you found me at twelve?" he asked, turning to stare at Anko in confusion.

"W-well... I did find you at noon. Yesterday. You didn't move around none, so I got worried and had to make sure you were alive. When no one came to get you... I just stuck around."

Sakumo rolled his eyes in annoyance. "How many times have I told you not to overdo it when you train?"

"Thirty-six. I've been counting," muttered Kakashi. "Uh, thanks for sticking around."

"All right, say goodbye to your friend. I'm going to talk to you about this when you get inside." Sakumo commanded before walking inside and shutting the door behind him.

Kakashi turned to Anko, his blush rising above his mask. He blushed further when she smiled knowingly. "Did I mention how I made sure you were alive?"

The wheels in Kakashi's mind began to crank as he thought of all the weird way the Anko he knew would have woken him up. Those images were shattered when she began to relentlessly tickle him.

A wolfish laugh escaped him as he tried to fend her off. When he began to gasp for air she let up, giggling ruthlessly. "Later, Kakashi-kun!"

"B-by Anko-ch-chan!" he panted, trying to collect himself from the ground. When Anko was out sight, his father appeared at his side, trying very hard not to burst into a of giggles himself.

"Anko-chan, eh?"

"Shove it, old man."

"Ouch, well I guess you don't need help from an old man," mused Sakumo, turning away with his hands raised in a defensive gesture.

"Wait! I'm sorry..."

Sakumo smirked. "That's more like it, Kakashi-kun."

"Oi! This never happened. Ever."

Sakumo could only chuckle as he carried Kakashi inside.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

_'Anko-chan, eh?' _chuckled Naruto, giving Kakashi an impish grin.

Kakashi glared at Naruto, continuing to toy with the scroll in his hands. They were currently seated in his mindscape as Kakashi read through the scroll—he was holding it in the hands of his physical body so scouring over it, trying to pick out new details, didn't require him to completely memorize. Not that _that _mattered, because he had pretty much memorized it anyway.

'_I don't want to talk about it, Naruto.'_

Kakashi scowled again, trying to figure out how to best attempt the next jutsu on the scroll. Six weeks had already passed since his arrival and his father had grown tired of watching him try to perfect the first jutsu, as Kakashi knew he would. It was a little bit of reverse psychology. Indeed, he _did _want to master the jutsu, but by appearing obsessed with mastering that particular jutsu his father became exasperated and excited to teach him the harder jutsu, knowing that his son would master them and try to perfect them.

Kakashi had managed to create a small patch of mist with the latest jutsu, the Kasumi Kaben, which literally meant Mist Petal. Why it was named as such he had no clue. The instructions provided for the jutsu demanded a Tori seal and nothing else. How he had managed to channel his chakra into a decent patch of mist before—or technically in the future—was beyond him.

'_Why don't you wanna talk about it?' _asked Naruto, smiling widely. '_You know all about mine and Hinata's massive cluster-fuck of a relationship. Why don't I get to know a—'_

_'Because it's fucking personal,_ _all _right? 'snapped Kakashi, throwing the scroll away from him in disgust. Naruto paled when he noticed the sudden presence of a memory trying to form. Kakashi groaned before shooting Naruto a withering look of bitterness as Anko's visage took form; she stumbled forward, falling onto her hands and knees before trying to crawl back to her feet again. Naruto gasped when suddenly the battlefield erupted around them, and he could see Kakashi watching in horror as Anko's head was viciously severed from her body. It landed in front of him, rolling the few remaining feet to rest against his foot as it stared up at him shock. Kakashi could have sworn that the damned thing had even smiled at him.

'_Sometimes I really hate you, Naruto.'_

Kakashi ejected from his mindscape and promptly vomited. That wasn't something he liked to remember but he supposed it had to occur sooner or later. He couldn't even remember the face of the man who'd killed her, only _her _face as it happened.

He could vaguely make out an apology from Naruto, but he didn't want to hear it so he pushed the boy's presence to the back of his mind and began to attempt producing the Kasumi Kaben.

Gripping his fingers into the formation of the Tori seal, he exhaled before he focused his chakra. "Kasumi Kaben!"

At first nothing happened, but then a very small patch of mist began to form t his feet. It was a thatch of about the size of his fist, but it was dense. Kakashi frowned in contemplation as he stared at the collection of water particles hovering in the air. Looking at it made him feel just a little bit thirsty.

"Kuso! How stupid can you be?" he muttered, smacking himself in the face as he scurried off to get a drink. He could almost hear the kind of smart remark the Anko he knew would have been flinging at him with a silly grin on her face. He was nowhere near water right—which made it much harder to perform the jutsu. If he was near pre-existing water it would make this jutsu _that _much easier to perform.

It took him nearly ten minutes to get to the edge of a river, but he didn't care. He stood at the edge of the water, staring out across the river as he collected his chakra. He formed the Tori seal and the proudly proclaimed "Kasumi Kaben!" only to groan in irritation when the cloud of mist he formed was six inches by six inches.

The next time he channeled as much chakra as he could into it, only for the water to rise up out of the river ever so slightly and then settle back down. Hm. Interesting, but not the effect he was going for.

"What the hell am I doing wrong?" muttered Kakashi, kicking the water in anger. He pondered for a moment and then stepped out on the water, forcing his tired body to obey him. It resisted for a moment but eventually gave in and allowed him to walk across the water with careful precision. He missed being able to walk on water without batting an eyelash. "Kasumi Kaben."

Mist formed again, though over a bit of a wider area. Was he perhaps using too _much_ chakra? Kakashi tried it again, using as little chakra as he possibly could. The mist formed again, a bit more widespread, but less dense. Interesting. '_Naruto, when you tried to do the regular Bunshin, did it get worse and worse with the more chakra that you tried to pour into it?'_

_'Sometimes,' _replied Naruto, his tone subdued. '_The better I get at a jutsu like that the more I can pour into it. But... if I can't get the jutsu right in the first place I can't pour a bunch of chakra into it because my chakra isn't doing the right thing in the first place. As much as I hate to say it, you wanting me to get the basics of jutsu down before I tinker with it works much better.'_

_'...Thanks.'_

Kakashi forced the communication to evaporate and turned back to his practice. He needed more concentration. He was still angry with Naruto for making him re-experience Anko's death, but it couldn't be helped. Naruto knew that Kakashi would forgive him, but it made the older ninja feel a bit better to know that Naruto at least felt bad.

He tried the jutsu about four more times before he began to feel the familiar tug at the back of his conscious and the aching in his joints that informed him that his chakra was running incredibly low. Trudging back to the bank, Kakashi hung his head in frustration. He was up to a square foot of mist but he couldn't produce more than that. It clung to the ground, as I was supposed to, but it needed to coat the ground around him in a circle about fifteen feet across in diameter.

"Not planning on passing out from chakra exhaustion again, are we?" a voice purred from behind him. Kakashi turned slowly, resisting the urge to flick a kunai into his hand as he was so used to.

Minato smiled at him cheekily, scratching the back of his neck as was his way. Kakashi grunted and relaxed his posture. "Maa, I'm not that stupid."

"Are you sure? I kind of get that vibe from you," teased Minato, chuckling when Kakashi looked away, pretending to pout. "You've been acting kind of weird lately. Is everything okay?"

Kakashi sighed, plopping down on the ground without replying. Minato wordlessly joined him with a slight thump. When Minato began to skip stones across the slow-moving river, Kakashi looked up with shame in his eyes.

"It's stupid, but I just worry about him dying. I can't let myself be weak. Last time—" Kakashi caught himself before saying 'Last time he died." "Well, last time I lost a parent I didn't remember them enough for it to hurt. If he dies I want him to know I can take care of myself so he doesn't feel bad. And I want to keep my clan alive... without him the clan dies because all of our jutsu isn't contained in scrolls. Chichi has to teach me most of the stuff..."

Minato nodded gravely, his hand tightening around the stone he was about to skip. His grip was so tight that his knuckles turned white. "Aa... My family is the same way. Story for another day, though. I just wanted to check on your before I went off on mission. I won't be back for a month or so... thought I owed you a heads up."

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and nodded. "Arigato, sensei."

Minato returned the gesture and then quite literally disappeared. Kakashi sighed and picked himself up off the ground, wondering about his sensei's strange reaction to what he had said. Come to think of it, the man had _never _talked about his childhood, save for where it concerned Kushina.

He supposed it was something to think about. He hadn't realized until just now how little personal information he actually knew about his sensei.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"FOR THIS MISSION, you three are going to have to accompany..."

Kakashi zoned out slightly as he glanced around the room. He'd already read the mission scroll. Yamanaka Inoichi had been assigned as their Chunin sensei for the mission, which Kakashi supposed was normal. He and Inoichi, along with Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Inuzuka Tsume. They were supposed to be accompanying some random merchant from the Mizu no Kuni back to Hi no Kuni. Why they couldn't find ninja from the Land of Waves to escort the man was beyond him, but that was neither here nor there. The mission was to take about two or three weeks—time that Kakashi could spend doing things much more valuable than walking at a snail's pace.

Kakashi shifted his weight as he adjusted the backpack on his shoulders, bringing his attention back to the current situation.

"You'll be leaving in an hour. Make sure you have all the necessary supplies and then head to Mizu no Kuni to escort Minikui Oroka back to Hi no Kuni. Understood?" *** [I apologize for making an OC—it was something I DID NOT want to do but after spending an hour searching for some random old fart to take the place and failing to find one that wasn't a part of something obvious, I resorted to this. I solemnly promise that no OC's will play a large role in the story and will be implemented as plot tools and not a source of personal fulfillment—unless you count writing as one.]

There was a resulting chorus of "Hai!" from the five ninja before Sarutobi who promptly turned on heel and filed out of the office. Kakashi marched straight to the gate of the village, boredom already weighing heavily on his shoulders.

He groaned as he leaned against the wall next to the gates of the village, trying to ignore the amused smirks of the Chunin that had guard duty. Kakashi yanked off his backpack, dropping to the ground unceremoniously as he slid down the wall. He allowed his legs to bend, forcing himself down into a squat. Wordlessly, he pushed chakra into his hands—the smallest amount he could get—and slammed his hand onto the ground. When he brought it away, an inch of dirt was covering it. He groaned when he realized that here was dirt on the back of his hands as well, but at least it wasn't his face.

Kakashi smirked when the Chunin rolled their eyes, hiding their jealousy. They were older, in their teens already. Kakashi liked these kind of missions—he was young and older ninja, usually only Genins, liked to try to engage in battle with him because he was so young. That was usually a mistake.

The pressure of his katana pressing into his back became bothersome enough for him to push off from the wall, stooping to pick up his pack before straightening again.

"Maa, that's a cool jutsu, eh, Kakashi-san?" drawled Shikaku from a few feet to Kakashi's right. Kakashi had felt the presence of him before he'd spoken.

Kakashi shrugged, maintaining the cool façade he was known for. "I convinced chichi to teach me the family jutsus... I'm not sure but I think we specialize in konbijutsu."

"Hmm. Combination jutsu? That's interesting... how can you do that without seals already? That usually takes people years to do." Shikaku's brows were furrowed with curiosity.

"Prodigy, remember? He started teaching me about a month ago... Hn. I've been obsessing with this." Kakashi sighed, rubbing his eyes groggily. He was still not getting enough sleep. The nightmares were particularly awful some nights—he knew better than to allow himself to sleep on short missions but he supposed he wouldn't be able to help it this trip. He'd probably end up taking a soldier pill to stay awake through the night and the first few days until they got hotel rooms and he could battle through his nightmares on his own, without worrying about his shrieks waking up his teammates.

Shikaku eyed him thoughtfully before making a soft humming sound and leaning against the wall, his hands braced behind his head. "You're almost late, Inoichi,."

"Tch. Like you care, lazy ass. I had to make sure the flower shop was all locked up before I left or Kaa-san would have been chasing me around with her gardening sheers again."

Kakashi repressed the urge to smile at the idea of a terrified Inoichi being chased around by a livid woman with sheers. It was almost too funny.

"So where's Choza and Tsume?" asked Kakashi, the amusement evident in his voice.

"Choza's getting some grub first and Tsume... is doing whatever the hell it is that Tsume does in her free time," surmised Inoichi, smiling broadly. "I have no clue what that is. Hmm. Oi, Shikaku, think I oughta get a new set of shinobi gear? Mom said this stuff is starting to smell rank no matter how many times I wash it... The ladies don't like a guy who smells bad."

There was a loud bark and the sound of loud footfalls at the end of his words that caused him to wince. "I can vouch for that, Inoichi-baka. You oughta take your mother's advice," Tsume snickered scratching her dog behind the ears. He was tall enough to meet her knees, but was currently resting his paws on her stomach so that he was tall enough to receive a scratch.

"Yeah, least I don't sleep with my dog," teased Inoichi in a sing-song voice. He laughed nervously when Tsume's expression darkened and she snarled.

"Oi, oi, calm down, geez," soothed Shikaku. "Choza's on his way, I already see him. After he gets here, let's just get to the damned destination with_out _killing each other, ne?"

Kakashi chuckled as Tsume and Inoichi grumbled in annoyance. Choza marched up to the group, a polite small seeming to be permanently etched into his face as he munched on a bag of potato chips.

Finally, they were off. The first two hours of the trip, they traveled along at a surprisingly slow pace until Shikaku realized that Kakashi seemed almost bored with the rate they were moving. After asking Kakashi and discovering that indeed, Kakashi wasn't tired at all, they moved at a much quicker pace.

They traveled for another four hours before Tsume announced that Kuromaru, her ninken, had to relieve himself. Inoichi decided that, since they'd made better time than he'd initially anticipated, they could just rest there for the night.

'_Kakashi, you oughta wait until as late as you can to take the soldier pill. Otherwise, you'll be useless if you get attacked when you're dead tired and can't take another soldier pill,' _warned Naruto. Kakashi took mental note of that and made it a point to wait until after dinner and when everyone else was laying down for bed.

'_Aa. I think I'll hold off on the more chakra intensive techniques until we actually get to Mizu no Kuni.'_

Kakashi strode off into the bushes to take a whiz and look around for edible berries. After about ten minutes of looking, he deduced that the only edible food was the food in his pack. Wordlessly, he made his way back to the clearing where the others were gathered and pulled out a ration bar. It tasted relatively disgusting, but compared to his father's cooking it was a decent meal.

Seeing Kakashi's almost appreciative expression, Choza blanched and wrenched the bar out of his hands. "You can't eat that!"

"... Why not?" Kakashi was smirking to himself beneath the mask, despite the confused façade he put up. This was always amusing.

"Because! Kakashi-san, it's an injustice to the proper food of the world! Here, have one of these—" Choza produced a bag of chips and an apple. "they don't contain as many calories but it tastes much better. If you still insist on eating the ration bar—" This he said as though it were a foul swear word. "then at least eat it first so you can get rid of the taste with this."

Kakashi chuckled openly, accepting the bag of chips and the apple. "Arigato, Choza-san. Ah, why do you hate them so much? They're not that bad..."

"What?! Not that bad!?"

"Great, you baka, now look what you're done!" groaned Inoichi, covering his eyes with his hands. Kakashi pretended to look ashamed of himself.

Choza began to leap up and down, proclaiming the terrors of ration bars. Regaining his composure, he plopped back down to the earth next to Kakashi as Shikaku started the fire. "Ne, Kakashi-san, don't you think they're awful?"

"Eh. You've not had chichi's cooking." Kakashi shuddered, truly terrified by the thought. "It's ironic. We're supposed to have some great farming heritage or whatever but he can't cook to save his damn life."

Shikaku snickered, flicking a pebble at Kakashi who anxiously dodged it with a kunai. "You're more paranoid than I thought, heh."

Kakashi glared at Shikaku, realizing that he needed to more properly guard himself around the older boy. He'd completely forgotten that Shikaku was a genius. "Chichi routinely wakes me up with a flurry of kunai. Preparedness and all that."

The group around him raised a collective brow as they began to prepare the rabbit that Tsume had retrieved. Kakashi ate his food in silence, now feeling sufficiently awkward. '_Naruto, your idiocy is rubbing off on me.'_

_'Only natural, I suppose,' _chuckled Naruto, not even bothering to hide his amusement. '_While regrettable, our traits will begin to rub off on each other the longer we're together.'_

Kakashi sighed heavily, stabbing his kunai into the ground so that he could bury his apple core. He didn't desire ants crawling into his tent with him because he had neglected to rid himself of his remaining food.

"Oi, Kakashi-san, are you gonna eat your portion of rabbit?" asked Choza, his eyes projecting his hopefulness for a 'no' from Kakashi. Kakashi shook his head no, wandering off to construct the group's tent as they cleaned up dinner.

After completing that task, he made his way to the small creek that was perhaps only six feet wide and a few inches deep. He wet his hands, cleaning them thoroughly before pulling down his mask and scrubbing his face clean. That task taken care of, he made his way back to the tent so that he could read more about fuinjutsu.

Shikaku entered the tent as Kakashi unraveled the storage scroll, watching with interest as Kakashi pointedly ignored him and began to read. It was only eight, but he didn't see the need to alert if Inoichi and Tsume were still piddling around by the fire.

Kakashi tried to contain his irritation that Shikaku wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was observing him. Trying to ignore him, he continued to read. He absorbed some of what he read, usually when Naruto made it a point to mention the more useful tricks of the trade.

After a while, he rolled got fed up and stomped out of the tent. He didn't return until two hours later, when everyone else looked asleep. He swallowed the pill before he went inside. Now all he had to do was lay there for a few hours and then they could proceed. It was boring, but it beat the weird looks and lengthy explanations he'd have to provide if he chose the alternative.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"SLOW DOWN, INOICHI, it's not a race," snapped Shikaku, yawning loudly. "Some of us actually like sleeping."

Inoichi chucked a sandal at him, laughing when it hit the dark-haired ninja between the eyes. "Chicks dig a guy who can take lead!"

"Troublesome, troublesome... if I wanted to smell your feet this early in the morning I'd just go to your house. No wonder you like flowers so much. I think your compensating for—"

"Oi! Grow the fuck up," growled Kakashi, rubbing at his temples with the palms of his hands. Everyone else was still in their pajamas, but he hadn't even changed out his clothes from the day before.

Choza rolled his eye and slapped him on the back good naturedly, not noticing Kakashi's visible flinch. "Lighten up, kid. Here, have some—"

"I'm not hungry. Let's just go."

Choza wilted, hanging his head slightly in dejection. Inoichi gave Kakashi a dark look, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get the mission done as fast as possible and return home so that he could get back to work on mastering his family's jutsu.

'_Kakashi; you're breaking character. Get your shit together,' _ordered Naruto, taking on his more authoritative roll again. Kakashi inwardly sighed and imagined castrating the blonde. All pretenses of command evaporated and Naruto sheepishly giggled and receded into the darker recesses of Kakashi's mind.

After the others had changed back into their mission attire, they set out for the remaining three days of travel for Mizu no Kuni. Their destination was near the border, so it wouldn't take that long to travel if they paced themselves well.

Kakashi moved forward to take point while took Tsume and Choza took the flank positions. Inoichi hovered near the back with Shikaku. Inoichi ordered Kakashi to scout up ahead and scout for anything out of the norm and the youngest of the ninja complied wordlessly, doubling his speed.

He scouted ahead for about twenty minutes before falling back when he saw nothing. "It's all clear up ahead."

"Good, good."

That was that. They traveled along for another six hours before stopping around two in the afternoon to make lunch. Kakashi could only pick at his ration bar; there was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was going to go wrong. It wasn't the kind of thing he liked to think about, but it wasn't something that he could just ignore.

"Oi, Kakashi, are you all right?" asked Choza, his brows crowding together in concern. The gray-haired youth forced himself to nod, even smiling brazenly beneath his mask to prove his point. "I was just wondering. Bit weird for a kid to be so quiet."

"Maa, it's a habit, I suppose," Kakashi remarked off-handedly, standing up to tuck his half-eaten ration bar back into his pack. "Is it time to go yet?"

"Nah. We got another twenty minutes. Hang tight," Shikaku informed, wandering off to refill his canteen. Kakashi sat back down, idly wondering where Inoichi had gone.

Kakashi practiced his seal-less Fuketsu Hira a few times, pleased with his steadily increasing progress. When Shikaku returned, he smiled at Kakashi, nodding his approval. Kakashi smiled back half-heartedly, not trusting the elder boy's suddenly warm gesture. Shikaku seemed to notice and his smile faded slightly.

Oh well. Kakashi stood abruptly, grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulder. He wanted to be ready when it was time to go. They were travelling at snail's pace. He wasn't looking forward to tomorrow; at this rate he was going to be up all night again because it was obvious that they were not going to make it to the village by tonight or possibly even the next day.

He'd be better off to not practice his jutsu at all if he was only going to be screwing around with it. If he was going to be training, he needed to train hard enough to force himself into a state of exhaustion that would prevent him from dreaming.

Noticing that he was once again scowling, Kakashi schooled his features into a cool, collected mask and bent to readjust his ninja sandal. When he straightened, his teammates were packing up their belongings and getting ready to go. .

Tsume laughed, throwing a treat to Kuromaru who yipped gleefully and began to chase its tail. Choza smiled to himself, pulling his pack onto his broad shoulders.

Again they were moving, this time at a bit of a better pace though not by much. After a mere four and a half hours, they were stopping again, much to Kakashi's chagrin.

Dinner passed quickly, leaving him a few hours left of daylight to burn. Kakashi left off for a while to read his book in the peace and quiet of a tree, ignoring the obvious presences of Shikaku and Inoichi as they talked nearby. They were obviously up to something, but he couldn't openly try to figure out what it was, especially when they were watching him. The smartest thing for him to do was to covertly watch them watching him and try to figure out what they were looking for.

When they moved away from him, Kakashi sighed and sat the book down in his lap, staring up at the sky. Fatigue washed over him like a comforting blanket, urging him to sleep. He resisted it for as long as he could until he felt the corners of his mind beginning to fizzle with the beginnings of sleep. Closing the book, he jumped down out of the tree and walked slowly back to their camp, intending to put the book into his backpack, eat some of his ration bar, and then go train for a while. Depending on how tired he felt after eating, he was going to train himself into the ground so he could sleep.

Inoichi and Shikaku were playing a game of Shogi, while Tsume watched making rude remarks about both players the whole while. Kakashi shook his head, trying to clear the image of them from when they were older. He smiled slightly, realizing that he could get a quick nap before anyone else went to bed.

He quickly marched into the tent, dragging his bag with him. He didn't bother to change his clothing, knowing that he was going to be back up again in an hour or so to wander around or take a bath when he had the chance.

Kakashi dug a watch out of his bag, strapping it to his arm with a soft smile. He set the timer for forty-five minutes. When the time had elapsed, a small needle would protrude from the back of the watch and into his skin, silently waking him. It was something his father had passed along to him.

Curling up in the deceptive warmth of his sleeping back, Kakashi willed himself to sleep as all good shinobi could and immediately succumbed to sleep.

His dreams were strange and muddled, though surprisingly not filled with the deaths of his current teammates. He was surprisingly too tired for that. They did however contain bizarre imagery that he didn't find pleasant in the slightest. He was relieved when his watch pricked his wrist and he was freed from the oddities. He sat up with a jolt, having forgotten that he'd set an alarm.

A startled gasp escaped him, but he didn't mind that much. Tsume, who he hadn't known was present, hissed in surprise but didn't otherwise converse with him. She obviously found him to be a nuisance and didn't trust his abilities because he was so young. Kakashi rolled his eyes and crawled out of his sleeping back.

"Get a bath, you little shit. You smell awful," she chided. Kakashi, again, rolled his eyes and flipped her off. "You little—I'm going to kill him!"

Kakashi cackled gleefully, darting around looking for a source of water. Tsume's death-threats only made him laugh harder as he imagined the look on her face. He darted up a tree, pushing off of it almost lazily to launch himself back in her direction. She squawked in outrage when he careened toward her, arms raised proudly over his head.

"Breathe it in, dog breath! Enjoy the stench!" he shouted, enjoying the freedom of being a child for just a moment. He tackled her to the ground, wrapping an arm around her head, forcing her to take a whiff of "Eau-due-Hatake.'

Tsume growled in anger, yanking him off of her. She flung the boy away from her, his body still convulsing from the force of his laughter. This was abruptly cut short when he smashed face first into a tree. He landed on the ground in a disgruntled heap, the air forced from his lungs. She smirked in satisfaction and then her mouth dropped open when he burst into laughter again. Her eyebrow began to twitch when his laughter didn't let up. She stomped off in a huff, ignoring the amused chuckles of her teammates.

Kakashi pulled himself up off the ground, wiping tears away from his eyes. '_You are _definitely _rubbing off on me in the _worst _way, Naruto.'_

_ 'What can I say? I enjoy a good laugh. It's not like you didn't enjoy them when I was the one pulling them off.'_

Kakashi smiled thoughtfully as he grabbed his soap from his bag. '_I gotta admit, sending all those pregnant women Henged as men to get check-ups by Tsunade was a pretty good one.'_

When he finally found the water, he disrobed—save for his mask- and leaped right in, sinking beneath the surface to lazily scrub his hair. '_Ya know, I think one of the most annoying things about all of this is having a kiddy penis again... I miss my dick.'_

Kakashi smirked as Naruto began rolling back and forth in his mindscape, gasping for air. '_I can't believe you just said that, Kaka-sensei! Well, wait, I mean I _can, _but _still!'

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI RUBBED HIS eyes groggily, wishing that they could just get to this god-forsaken village already. He'd gotten forty-five minutes of sleep in the past three days and it was beginning to show, even despite the soldier pills he'd been trying to space out. He couldn't overdo it or he'd develop immunity to the pills. He couldn't just stay awake the whole time though or he'd be an unnecessary nuisance to the team.

"Are you alright, Kakashi-san?" inquired Shikaku, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. Kakashi flinched away from him, brushing the hand off with a slight shiver.

He nodded trying to play off the obviously unusual reaction to touch by shivering and rubbing his arms as if he was cold. "Yeah, I'm just tired. How long until we get there?"

"An hour. You good til' then?"

Kakashi nodded, though internally he wasn't sure. "After we get there, how long do we have 'til we leave again?"

"A few days. The merchant plans to leave on Friday, so that gives us two nights and three days," quipped Choza, smiling at Kakashi and he threw the kid a bag of chips.

"Perfect . Thanks, Choza-san!" Kakashi immediately tore into the bag of chips, despite the fact that he wasn't hungry. He'd need all the extra calories he could get if he was going to make it to the village, going full-speed for the next hour.

Choza smiled and nodded, turning back towards the direction they were headed. "Looks a bit like rain, huh?"

"What are you talkin' about?" Inoichi laughed, launching into the air to perform a front flip. "It's beautiful out!"

Kakashi remained, anxiously shoveling the chips into his mouth.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"I NEED A room," said Kakashi, hopping so he could use his elbows to prop himself up on the counter. He was too short to see over it otherwise.

"Oi, go home, kid. I can't give rooms out to little runaway gaki—"

Kakashi growled deep in his throat, his fatigue wearing his patience thin. He released a considerable amount of killing intent as he envisioned tearing off the man's feet and kicking him in the head with them. "I need a _room,_ if you'd be so kind. I have the money and I'm considered an adult in the eyes of my village. So give me a room."

"For fuck's sake, kid, calm down!"

Kakashi turned around, surprised to see that Inoichi had followed him. Inoichi handed the inn keeper the money and Kakashi rolled his eyes in disgust. "Spare me the big-brother act. I'm tired."

"What's wrong with you, gaki? Aren't you supposed to say 'thanks' or something?"

Kakashi fixed the taller ninja with a pointed look, attempting to contain the anger coursing through him. He should have been surprised to be so angry over something so little but he couldn't find it in himself to question it at the moment. "He'd have given me the room anyway, so I don't understand the point of you trying to help me. I can take care of _myself_. I'm a kid but I'm a Chunin, just like you. I'm not helpless."

Inoichi lifted his hands in a defensive gesture, moving out of Kakashi's way as the inn keeper handed the kid a key, backing away with a weary look. Inoichi, noticing the behavior of the man fixed Kakashi with a dark glare. "Look, if you're a Chunin than you ought to know better than to release _that _much killing intent on someone who's not even a ninja!"

Kakashi's eyes widened, surprised with himself. Had he really used that much? Kakashi masked his features calmly and turned away from Inoichi, walking towards the stairs that would take him to his room. He felt Inoichi moving after him, as if to grab him by the shoulder, and neatly side-stepped the motion, smirking when Inoichi swore angrily.

He fumbled with the keys, taking at least more than twice than the necessary amount of time necessary to open the door. Once inside, he yanked off his pack and leaned against the door, wearily sinking to the floor. Kakashi ground the heels of his palms into his temples in confusion, trying to sort out what had just happened.

'_Kakashi, we need to be careful. Kurama's influence, whether he intends it or not, is seeping into our personalities. If we're not careful... we'll both have tempers worse than Sakura. You remember how short my fuse was when I was a kid, and that was with the Kyuubi suppressed._

_ 'Look, it's not like I can help it!' _piped up the Kyuubi defensively_. 'It's like breathing. I'm just an angry bastard, all right? I can't help it...'_

Kakashi chuckled darkly and pulled himself up off the floor. "I think I'm losing my mind. Fuck."

A shower and some sleep would definitely feel good after the past two hellish days.

Kakashi exhaled happily as he entered the bathroom. He cranked the water up to the highest heat setting and peeled out of his stinky ninja gear. After slipping into the shower, he lathered up his hands and scrubbed at his scalp, relishing the sting of the hot water. The burn of the skin eased the feel of his mind rebelling against the two other presences in his head.

As he scrubbed himself clean, he couldn't help but feel a prickle at the back of his mind. It felt similar to when Naruto was trying to force himself into the forefront of his mind, but also different as well. Kakashi shook his head, trying to get rid of the feeling. It was so strange—it actually _hurt_. He braced a hand against the wall of the shower, suddenly feeling like he'd punched in the stomach. He could feel Naruto trying to tell him something, but he was in too much pain to focus on it. He quashed Naruto's presence trying to rationalize whatever was going on. He coughed when his breath was forced out of him again. He couldn't even move.

Kakashi grunted, forcing his fingers into a fist. He forced down the urge to vomit, coughing again instead. When the water was tinged read with the spray of his cough, he sucked in a panicked breath and reeled backwards. He cried out as he crashed to the floor of the bathroom, taking the curtain down him.

'_Kuso! What is my life coming to? I can't even shower without fucking losing it...' _he thought, using the back of his hand wipe the warm water off of his face. He frowned when he realized that it wasn't just water dripping off of his face. For whatever unfathomable reason, his nose was gushing blood.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

HEAVY SHEETS OF rain fell from the sky with relentless abandon, assaulting the small fishing village with its wetness. Kakashi stood at the window of the small café, his elbow propped against the wall near his head as he stared through the transparent barrier with a look of abject despair. They'd only been there a few hours before the weather had taken a turn for the worse.

Minikui Oroka, their client, sat by calmly sipping a cup of tea while making small-talk with Tsume, who did her best to be polite. The man was a bit repulsive to be frank. He was short in stature, broad about the waist, had a misshapen, ugly nose, and his skin and hair had an unhealthily greasy sheen. His smell—something that didn't bother the others who refrained from getting too close to him—was absolutely nauseating to the Inuzuka, but she was forced to be polite for the sake of the mission. It was just her luck that she was the only female of the group and the lecherous creep just _had _to hold conversation with her exclusively.

The man had adamantly claimed that his wares couldn't handle the rain—apparently he sold a lot of books and scrolls—which meant that they had to wait to leave until the rain let up.

Inoichi and Shikaku were lazily spread out in their booth, limbs casually strewn about as they continued their game of Shogi. Inoichi swore as Shikaku promoted his rook. Time to change tactics, it seemed.

"Oi, Kakashi-san, why are you so upset?" whispered Choza, stepping forward as he held out his bag of chips to the younger boy. Kakashi shrugged, accepting a chip. He forced chakra into his fingertips, and by proxy, the food that they interacted with. This chakra allowed the food to pass through his specially made mask without removing it. He could wash his face in a similar fashion but sometimes it was easier to just remove the mask when he was too tired for such secrecy.

Kakashi sighed loftily, pinching the bridge of his nose when the nauseas feeling returned. "I have things to do, as childish as that sounds."

Choza considered the response for a moment. "That's not childish, actually. You are much more... mature than I expected you to be."

"Eh?"

"I've worked with Chunin your age before. They are mature, yes, but you are very much more so. You should get out more. Too much seriousness makes for _wrinkles." _At the last two words, Choza suddenly bent towards Kakashi, mashing his hands against his face as he took on a bizarre facial expression. "Do you wear a mask because you have frown lines already, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi repressed a giggle as Choza spoke to him, his hands still squashing his cheeks into weird positions. This caused his lips to look puckered like a fish as he teased him. "Haha! No, I wear my mask because chichi says I'm too open. Shinobi Rule 25—A shinobi must never show emotion." [There are only six known rules. This is one of them. I'll probably make up more of my own.]

Choza laughed, ruffling Kakashi's hair. Kakashi glared at the older boy in mock outrage as he attempted to coax his hair back into place. When it wouldn't cooperate, he gave up. Choza crumpled the empty bag of chips into a small ball, turning to leave. He paused for a moment before stopping and turning back to look at Kakashi with a contemplative expression. "Rules are good and all," he said softly, "but don't forget that too many rules can drive a man to break each and every one of them. Showing emotions and having them are vastly different."

Kakashi stared after Choza, wondering if the Choza he'd known had been so thoughtful. He vaguely remembered Choji being as soft-hearted, but he had assumed the boy got it from his mother.

'_Akimichi's are very emotional beings, Kakashi... Choji and Shikamaru understood my no one else ever did.' _Kakashi was surprised to hear a hint of disbelief in Naruto's voice. He didn't say anything, knowing that his mental tag-along would explain without prompting. '_You know, it's funny... I was always so focused with gaining Sasuke's approval that... I think I overlooked the two bestfriends I could have ever had...' _

'_Hind-seight's twenty-twenty, Naru-chan... You were all bes friends in the end, though, ne?' _

_ 'Yeah, right up until I let them die for me.' _There was such bitterness and grief in Naruto's voice that Kakashi didn't bother to comfort him. Naruto just wanted some time alone right now, which was perfectly reasonable. The guy spent enough time trying to distract Kakashi from his own grief that it was only fair to let him have his own reprieve.

Kakashi shook his head when the strange prickle at the edge of his consciousness appeared again. He pressed the heels of his palms against his temples for what felt like the millionth time during the mission, trying to rid himself of the strange sensation. It was becoming painful again. Kakashi swore when he realized he had a nosebleed again.

He grabbed a napkin from a nearby table, pressing it up to his face. He was glad the mask he wore in his youth was black, because otherwise the blood would have been obvious on his face until he had a chance to wash it off.

Kakashi tried to breathe through his mouth, but now he could taste the blood as he inhaled through the bloody mask. Furiously he sank down into a chair, yanking more towels out of the cheap dispenser as he sat there. This restaurant had high-chairs and normal tables, very unlike the low to the ground tables that were in restaurants where patrons sat down and took their time to eat. This was a place for travelers, and as such, had the cheap toiletries that coincided with cheaper meals.

When the napkins were no longer working and his blood began to drip onto the surface of the table, Kakashi pushed back from the table, moving towards the bathroom.

As he made his way, he saw Shikaku give him a curious look. His stomach churned and he looked away, wondering idly if he'd vomit when he finally made it to the bathroom. Naruto didn't pipe up for once, which he found just a little bit odd. He made a note to ask him about that later.

Once inside the bathroom, Kakashi slipped into a stall, yanking his mask down. His head was throbbing. There was a sharp stabbing sensation at the base of his skull that he couldn't just shake. He wadded up some toilet paper, pressing it to his nose with one hand and leaning against the wall with the other. With a grimace, he realized that his hand would leave a semi-bloody handprint. What the hell was this?

"Oi, you in here, Kakashi-san?"

Dammit, Choji. Why did he have to care so much?

"Aa. My nose won't stop bleeding... it's weird. I had one earlier, too," confessed Kakashi, realizing that honesty would be the best option here. Choza was only trying to help, anyway.

"_...What? _That _is _strange... Do you have any other symptoms?" Kakashi thought he was just being paranoid, but he could have sworn he heard the suspicion in the large boy's voice.

Kakashi exhaled through his mouth, weighing the pros and cons of sharing the other symptoms. If it was serious, they might have to get him medical attention. If it wasn't, he could move on and have one less thing to worry about. Hmm. He'd rather have fewer things to worry about if he was going to have to deal with staying longer than necessary. He'd already sound-proofed his room at home in an attempt to stop waking his father but here he didn't have that luxury. Kakashi stepped replaced his mask, stepping out of the stall. "Ano... I have a strange prickling sensation... like in the back of my mind. Should I worry about that?"

Kakashi watched shrewdly as his teammate's face darkened for a moment before it cleared, the brooding expression replaced with a sunny smile. "Nah! You just need to eat more; probably a fatigue headache and the nosebleeds could be because of changes in altitude or humidity."

The younger ninja nodded, smiling thankfully in a gesture of good faith even though he was now going through a wide list of all possible causes of his malady. "Good. Oi, keep this between you and me, eh? I don't need Tsume going off about me having perverted thoughts or something."

Choza nodded and swiftly departed, a weary look crossing his face when he thought Kakashi couldn't see him anymore. There was no way that this was simply nothing if Choza was acting so suspiciously about it. When Choza quickly storde out of the restroom, Kakashi glared at the space where the heavier boy had stood, absently pressing a hand to his nose, which was still bleeding through his mask. This mission was quickly going to shit. Not only did he learn that they had to wait out the storm, which meant more trauma about staying in character and not being too loud at night when plagued by his nightmares (which in all honesty he shouldn't even _have _to feel bad about), but now he had to deal with this weird ailment which apparently wasn't just a coincidence. It most definitely not a change in humidity and he'd never been one to have problems with altitude changes. He climbed cliffs with one hand for fuck's sake—no, it couldn't be altitude.

Kakashi emerged from the bathroom, noting suspiciously that conversation had abruptly died. Shikaku looked extremely agitated, but he wasn't talking to Choza, which Kakashi supposed was a good thing.

Shaking his head in frustration, Kakashi pushed open the door of the café and began to hurry back to the hotel. He needed to get away, even if only for just awhile.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

THE NEXT DAY it was the same. The rain didn't let up. His bleeding had stopped shortly after exiting the café and had yet to return. Naruto had been rather subdued and unsure of what to make of the strange things Kakashi was feeling. He'd remarked that each time it happened he wasn't paying attention; he was busy thinking about things or just wasn't paying attention for any particular reason.

Kakashi focused on the text of the book as he read his book in the lobby of the hotel, ignoring Tsume's incessant bickering with Inoichi. They were honestly like a married couple, despite their vehement claims of hating one another. It irked Kakashi because it constantly reminded him of the fact that he simply didn't belong here because he knew things that he shouldn't. He'd always be different now.

"So, why are you so interested in fuin?" Shikaku asked, his voice drawling out the words in a way that made it seem as though he could care less whether Kakashi answered him or not. Kakashi knew that was, in fact, not true. At all. So he merely shrugged in response. Shikaku narrowed his eyes at Kakashi's nonchalance. "Family jutsu?"

"No. Hobby."

"Ahh."

Shikaku was silent for a moment. "Where'd you pick up that hobby?"

"... Is this your hobby? Playing twenty questions with strangers?" demanded Kakashi, slamming the book shut. '_Kakashi, stop it! You're impossible to rile remember? You have to ignore the Kyuubi's influence!' _

_'_ _I don't _have _to do _anything, _Naruto.' _Kakakashi pointed out, feeling irritated when Shikaku tilted his head to the side in consideration.

"It's a normal thing, really. Comrades are allowed to share things about themselves," Shikaku said with a sigh. "However, you seem perfectly content to isolate yourself at every chance. "

"Not true. Besides, Shinobi Rule number 4—A shinobi must always put the mission first. Being _friends _with your teammates does not fall under that category." Kakashi pushed off from the chair he'd been sitting in, intending to go back to his room.

Shikaku snorted in amusement, but Kakashi refused to turn around as he began to stalk back to his room. "If you really feel that way then why are you so anxious to get back home? Follow your own advice and focus on the mission."

Kakashi stopped, trying to quash his anger. How did Naruto deal with this much undo anger from the Kyuubi on a daily basis? The youngest member of the team turned around, being careful to mask his emotions and tone. "Is there something that you are looking for Shikaku?" He purposefully dropped the honorific, tired of playing games. Shikaku was smart enough to figure many things out—encouraging a friendship with the man did not bode well for his plans. Shikaku figuring out that something was up was _not _on his list of priorities.

"Well, I know _I'm _curious as to why you have about as much personality as a piece of shit," piped up Tsume, grinning to show that she was playing. Kakashi couldn't find it within himself to find it funny. When he didn't show any change of emotion, she rolled her eyes and turned back to her argument with Inoichi but it was obvious the blonde was only half-heartedly protesting his half of the argument.

Shikaku calmly shrugged and laced his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. "Just can't figure you out, Hatake, that's all."

"You're looking underneath the underneath too much. I am just a very boring person," lied Kakashi. Shikaku seemed to accept that answer, so Kakashi calmly walked out of the lobby and back to his room.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI SHIFTED HIS weight back and forth, feeling rather stupid for seeking out Choza so late at night but he couldn't help it. He'd gone through all of his ration bars and dammit he was starving. He was used to being without food—his father couldn't cook worth a damn and sometimes it was better to just forgo it—but they were leaving the next day if it stopped raining. Besides, Choza simply had better food than the vending machines did and that was outlandishly priced anyway.

He lifted his hand to knock on the door, pausing when he heard the harsh tones of an angry whisper. Kakashi simultaneously repressed his chakra presence and pushed chakra into his ears to increase his hearing ability. He moved to the left of the door, pressing himself against the wall so he could hear more.

_ "Shikaku! _He tried to use it on a fucking kid!" That was Choza, it had to be. "Not only that; he used it on a comrade!"

_"Attempted,_" corrected another voice. It sounded like... Inoichi? "I couldn't actually do it remember? That kids mind is either very strong or he's got something wrong up there. It's like... the thoughts I was hearing didn't make sense. I couldn't get in. It was like... There were too many thoughts or something. It was muffled; I couldn't get close enough to—"

"He's just a kid." Shikaku reasoned.

"Yeah? You didn't feel the killing intent he unleashed on the inn keeper when the guy wouldn't give him a room. If he'd do that to a civilian—"

"That's doesn't matter! You're _not _supposed to use those kinds of techniques on your teammates!" snarled Choza. There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh; Kakashi assumed that the boy who was fast becoming a decent friend had hit the blonde.

"He's right, Inoichi. That was... well frankly it was wrong. The kid's paranoid as it is. Minato-sama wanted us to make sure he was okay, not intrude."

Kakashi reeled back from the wall, seething. He had to be careful to repress the killing intent that longed to break free but it was hard. He struggled down the hallway, trying to contain his rage. Minato... this was Minato's fault. He was the reason they were acting so weird. They were spying on him. He should've known.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

_ "NARUTO! TURN AROUND!" a voice shouted. Kakashi turned around, instead, watching in horror as Inoichi and Choza advanced upon him. Choza was already bleeding heavily and Inoichi's hair had been scorched off. _

_ "Report! How's the line holding?" demanded Kakashi, though the voice wasn't his own. Inoichi's eyes widened and he flung a kunai dangerously close to Kakashi's ear—the sound of it whizzing by was closely followed with a garbled scream of pain—before he began his report. _

_ "Lee and Gai are gone. Neji's trying to hold the line but he can only do so much. TenTen... she's trying to take care of the wounded and fend off attackers at the same time. I called in as many reinforcements as we could but it's... it doesn't look good." Inoichi shifted guiltily, trying to contain his emotions. _

_ Choza let out a swear, extending his arm to punch an enemy ninja in the throat as Kakashi nodded, bring his hands up as dual orbs of energy amassed and swirled in each hand. He leaped over his fellow ninja, taking down two enemy Jonin at the same time._

_ Kakashi leaned on his knees, panting slightly. He swore when he saw that an entire hoard of ninja was charging for them. He began to form another ball of energy and vaguely heard himself scream as he charged at the ninja, despite Inoichi and Chozas' anxious gasps. _

_ He spun around and around, stabbing and slicing with a kunai. Inoichi and Choza were surrounded by ninja as well. He did his best to avoid getting hit by the various ninjutsu that the ninja were throwing at him until he was forced to unleash a "Futon:Daitoppa" to blow them back while he regrouped. He didn't notice the blast of fire headed directly for him. _

_ A strong pair of arms forced him out of the way. Kakashi grunted as he hit the ground, rolling over immediately to see what had flung him. He watched with horror as a blast of flames consumed Inoichi's body, leaving behind a charred husk of a man. The tears were streaming down his face even before the fire faded. _

_ Choza screamed in anger, shouting Inoichi's name as he darted forward to seek revenge upon the enemy. Kakashi did the same, unleashing a hail of kunai on the faceless ninja. With a poof it disappeared. A kage bunshin. A fucking clone. Was it some kind of sick joke?  
Glancing back at the still-smoking corpse of Inoichi, Kakashi knew it wasn't. He screamed in anger as he forced chakra into the kunai, hardening them. When he looked up again, he began to cut and slash at the ninja that were once again closing in around him. Choza popped a pill into his mouth before Kakashi could tell him not to. Dammit. It was the last one, the third pill... When Choza's body erupted with pent up chakra Kakashi could feel the hot trail of tears carving its way across his skin stronger than ever before. It was too much. Too many... too many were dying. _

Kakashi sat up with a jolt, the scream of pain dying on his lips. He moaned softly, collapsing back onto the bed as he suppressed the urge to cry like a little baby. "I wish I could forget..."

'_I'm sorry... I wish I didn't have to assign you this mission but you're the only one, Kakashi,´ _explained Naruto, his tone morose. It had been his memory; he was the one to witness the deaths of Inoichi and Choza. Kakashi furiously scrubbed the tears from his cheeks, dragging himself out of bed. He stumbled to the bathroom, lazily flicking on the light even as he began to strip out of his clothes. Sometimes only the scorch of hot water could remove the feel of filth that lingered after war.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"OI, KAKASHI WE'RE leaving in twenty so get your ass in gear!" yelled Inoichi, banging on Kakashi's door. The door opened with a jerk, Kakashi giving him a bleary eyed glare.

"I'm awake. Stop shouting."

Inoichi smiled, reaching out to ruffle Kakashi's hair. "You're cute for a grouchy little fuck, ya know that?"

Kakashi avoiding the playful ruffle with an irritated scoff. "Hn."

Acting like Sasuke always seemed to deflect the advances of friendship. Perhaps there was a perk of having a stuck-up clan kid on his team after all. Inoichi stared at him pensively before shrugging and marching off down the hall to his room.

Without looking back Kakashi Shunshin'd to the downstairs and leaned against a wall groggily. At least he wouldn't need a soldier pill... he could last the day and possibly the night without either if he played his cards right.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

TRAVELING AT A civilian's pace was never something Kakashi was found of; in fact, it was something he loathed with every ounce of resolve a six-year-old-actually-thirty-year-old could have. That didn't change the fact that it was unavoidable and they were going to be spending another week—at least—doing it.

The first day had passed uneventfully. Now, as they trekked along through the dense foliage of a beaten path in the forest, Kakashi couldn't help but notice that something was off.

He just couldn't put his finger on what. "Tsume-san?"

She turned to look at him without answering. She instead raised a brow, indicating that he explain himself.

Kakashi lifted his hand, curling up all of his fingers but his index fingers. This finger he rotated in a circular motion. It was a common signal among trackers to indicate that a perimeter check might be necessary. Tsume smirked, appreciating his knowledge of her field. She whistled to get Kuromaru's attention and then murmured 'check,' and the dog yipped dutifully before charging off ahead of them.

It was of little important, really; the strange ninja were upon them with little warning in a matter of seconds. When the merchant let out a surprised shriek, Kakashi twisted around, already launching himself backwards at the missing-nins before the others could comprehend what was happening. He landed with a kunai in hand. The ninja turned to him, amusement on his face as he opened his mouth to mock Kakashi's small stature. The words never reached his lips; Kakashi simply jumped up, slit his throat, and then kicked him away before turning to the next one. There were only three. Their skills were laughable at best when compared to the caliber of enemy he was so used to fighting.

The deaths of the other two ninja were quick and proficient, as he was trained to kill. When he was done, he squatted down to check the body for any identifying characteristics that coincided with the bingo-book in his back pocket. Finding none, he made a tch-ing sound beneath his breath and moved to loot the pockets of the ninja.

"W-What the fuck was that?" demanded Inoichi, his hand on Kakashi's shoulder. Kakashi wormed his way away from the unwanted contact, twisting to stare at his elder incredulously.

"What the fuck do you think? We were attacked."

"Not that!" Inoichi rasped in exasperation. "This!" He flung his arms wide to encompass the bodies on the ground. Kakashi's face darkened as he turned back to the ninja before him, realizing that he was not supposed to have killed before. "You took them down like flies! You didn't even hesitate."

Kakashi slipped his hand into the man's pocket where he was hoping to find a kunai. He yanked his hand back out of the pocket, a deep gash in the palm of his hand. "Look, it's my job, isn't it? Never show weakness."

"Enough with the fucking ninja rules. That's inhuman."

Kakashi snorted in disgust and pocketed the money before moving to the next body. It was a bad habit he'd picked up from Naruto.

"A-are you looting them, Kakashi-san? That's... well, it's not right." Choza shifted uncomfortably, moving forward to stop Kakashi.

"I gotta eat, don't I?" snapped Kakashi. "Chichi won't be around forever to take care of me. Mission payments only get you so far."

"Maa, maa, you both make too big a deal of nothing. He's a shinobi. He's passed the exam, same as all of us. He's just doing his job," pointed out Shikaku. Kakashi relaxed for a moment, appreciating the older boy's defense of his actions. When he remembered that Shikaku was spying on him for Minato, the relief went away.

Kakashi straightened again, turning to the merchant. "Are you ready to continue?"

When the merchant nodded shakily, Kakashi marched off down the path without looking back.

"You guys are a bunch of pussies. I wish my boyfriend was as no-nonsense as this kid is," mused Tsume, patting Kuromaru behind the ears. The dog yipped in agreement. Kakashi was too angry to have the graciousness to blush.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI SHIFTED UNCOMFORTABLY, trying to avoid his father's concerned gaze.

"I hear you had your first kill... first three, more accurately."

He nodded, trying to look guilty. He didn't feel anything, really. He was a bit sad that he had to kill them, but they'd made their choice when they attacked the merchant. He was a shinobi. That was his job.

"I also heard that you cried a bit."

"Sorry."

"No, it's natural..." Sakumo patted Kakashi on the back, sighing softly. Kakashi knew it was natural. It would have been strange for him _not to _cry at some point. Hence the usefulness of cutting his hand on the kunai in the man's pocket... It was relatively easy to smear salt into the cut when no one was looking and then rub his hands together and then scrub his eyes a little bit until he got salt in his eyes. The combined pain of salt in his wound and in his eyes made it quite easy to force the waterworks. Sounding upset was a little bit tougher, but he managed well enough.

"Are you all right, though? You seem rather quiet."

Kakashi nodded, toying with the idea of confiding his findings with his father. Would his father find it weird that he was being spied on? Would it be strange to tell his father that his teacher was behind it? Kakashi ruled out telling Sakumo anything, wondering absently if the man was in on it, too. "Yeah, I'm fine. Kill or be killed, right? Shino Rule number thirty-six: A ninja must never show any weakness."

"Yes, that is true but the rules are not everything. Think of them as guidelines."

"Okay. Hey, speaking of guides... can you teach me the next jutsu on the scroll? I got the Kasumi Kaben up to about a foot by foot, but I think it needs some tweaking."

His father smiled, nodding. He didn't notice the slight desperation for a change of conversation, misreading it as eagerness for training. It was amazing how people saw what they wanted to even when the answers were so obvious.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"So you made your first kill while I was away?" asked Minato, calmly avoiding a well-placed punch from his student.

Kakashi panted, avoiding the reciprocal jab of Minato's hand. "Yeah."

"Hmm." Minato kicked out at Kakashi, catching him square in the chest. Kakashi was sent flying. His sensei calmly placed his foot back on the ground, his efficient motions using only the space and effort required to perform them. "How do you feel about it?"

"Fine. They attacked first. They decided what would happen to them."

Minato frowned slightly, quickly grabbing a kunai to deflect the one that Kakashi had flung at him. He flicked his own back at the boy, the slight motion producing a silver blur that the boy was hard-pressed to dodge. "Is that so?"

Kakashi exhaled loudly, his shoulders sagging. "Look what do you want from me? I did what was asked of me."

"I didn't ask you to kill them. It's just... rather unusual for someone so young to show a completel lack of regard for the lives of others."

"I don't have a disregard for the lives of other's for fuck's sake! I've just not got qualms about killing people who jeopardize my mission or the safety of my teammates! What do you want me to do? Tie their hands and then sit them down and read them bedtime stories while we slip away quietly? You'd have done the same damn thing. They're not nice people, that's what you always say. 'They'll cut you down in an instant, Kakashi! You always have to be prepared!' Shinobi Rule number 16!" Kakashi panted, the energy required to repress the malicious energy of the Kyuubi requiring some effort. "What do you want from me? I did my job. What would you have me do?"

Minato remained silent as he regarded the boy. He tilted his head to the side, tapping a finger against his cheek. "I think it would be best for you to have another sensei."

Kakashi froze, his lungs seizing up. "W-what?"

"It's for the best," said Minato, nodding in confirmation. With that, he disappeared, leaving behind only the gentle swirl of leaves. Kakashi sunk to the ground, sucking in a shuddering breath. No, no, no... This was all wrong. What was wrong with him? Why didn't Minato want to teach him anymore?

For the first time since killing the three missing ninja, Kakashi let loose real tears of loss. It was so incredibly unfair. All he had done was his job and now he was ostracized for it. Naruto didn't offer any words of reassurance; he was too flabbergasted by the situation to even understand it.

Kakashi didn't need to understand the why behind the events to understand that this betrayal hurt him almost as badly as Sasuke's leaving the village.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI STARED AT the Jonin before him with a blank expression, not really caring either way about the old man. Yuhi Nenshou, Kurenai's father; it was strange, he'd never really met or even heard of the man until his death the night Kyuubi attacked.

The man eyed him long and hard, his strange red eyes roving over Kakashi's grim features before a light smile graced his lips. He tucked a stray lock of hair beneath his bandana-like hitai-ite and then sighed contentedly. "Let's get started shall we?"

Kakashi begrudgingly unsheathed his sword as Nenshou did the same. This was definitely a deviation he'd never anticipated.

**Author's Note; Before you shoot me, Minato's not gone permanently I promise. If you're curious you can ask me why Minato's leaving Kakashi or you can wait and see why. You're choice. I'm sorry the chapter's so long. It needed to get this out of the way. Next chapter, we're skipping another month to when Kakashi is seven. That'll get the ball rolling even further. While Kakashi is six now, let's say that he's been six a while and three months going by would lead to his seventh birthday, ne? :] That way I don't have to spend forever with him at age six and you don't have to spend forever reading it. **

** Again, I'm sorry for the length of this chapter. :l Another note, I'm aware that the chunks of the chapter get broken up into some pretty small snippets at the end but that's on purpose. I wanted it to come in clips as though time was rushing by. In a sense, that's how it is for Kakashi. Everything is happening all at once and he can't hardly keep up. He's dealing with the loss of everything, trying to perform his missions, and all at the same time pretend he's okay. He has to juggle ALL of that along with pretending that he's an immature little kid. He's not doing a stellar job, but hey. He's trying to get his shit together, dammit. **

**I am NOT bashing Shikaku, Inoichi, or Choza or anybody in this chapter. They're just doing they're job and they're a bit weirded out by how easily Kakashi can kill and not bat an eye-lash about it. Minato also instructed them to watch him for strange behavior. .**

**Kasumi Kaben: Mist Petal**


	4. The Flames of Youth

**Beyond the fact that Kurenai's father uses a sword, I have no idea what he's like. So I made up his first name- Nenshou, which means "Burning." Yuhi means "Evening Sun" So, his name basically means Burning Evening Sun. Yay. Okay, I have NO clue how his character would act—I'm sorry, I'm too lazy to look up the episodes and watch them. I'll have you all know I have NOT watched Shipuuden but I'll get to it soon. SO keep in mind I'm whipping this character out of my ass and his personality is entirely my doing. I'm sorry if you don't like it. HOWEVER we need some stress relief and he'll do just the trick.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: The Flames of Youth**

_'Do you feel cold and lost in desperation? You build up hope, but failure's all you've known. Remember all the sadness and frustration and let it go. Let it go.' – _Iridescent, by Linkin Park.

KAKASHI GRIMACED, TRYING not to whimper as pain coursed through his arm. He and his father were training; it was his father's version of teaching Kakashi to work on dodging. It was also his father's target practice with kunai.

"Kuso! Are you alright? I thought you'd be quick enough to dodge that one..." Sakumo's brows clenched together in shame as Kakashi wrenched the sharpened metal from his upper arm, gasping slightly as it came free.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just hurts a bit..." Kakashi exhaled harshly, his lips producing a strange fluttering sound like the neighing of a horse. He angrily flung the kunai at a nearby tree as hard as he could, hissing in aggravation when it reverberated off of the tree. "Dammit. I can't do anything right! Gah!"

Sakumo stared at Kakashi as he began to stomp back to the house, watching in confusion for a moment before jogging after him. "Wait a second. Are you alright? Besides the arm... is this about your mission?"

Kakashi stopped up short, biting his lip in indecision. He stared at his feet for a few seconds before replying. "Sort of..."

"Mmm, I see," commented Sakumo, resting a reassuring hand on Kakashi's shoulder. He frowned when the boy flinched. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what happened. Call me an annoying old geezer but this is the kind of thing you need to talk about—to _someone_. As far as I know you haven't."

"How would you know?"

"I asked your teammates... I'm worried about you."

Kakashi sighed softly for what seemed like the millionth time since his arrival at this point of his life, but he just couldn't help it. "I... Minato-sensei won't train me anymore."

Sakumo's eyes hardened and he removed his hand from his son's shoulder. "Why not?"

"I dunno. He just said it was for the best and then he just... left." Kakashi averted his eyes, slightly ashamed of the burning desire to cry again. "I just wish I knew _why_. You can't just say it's for the best and then _abandon _someone. I _needed _him dammit."

Sakumo pulled him into a hug so suddenly that Kakashi let out a small squeak of surprise before relenting and melting into the hug. He was still little. It was okay for him to be weak. That's what he told himself when he let himself cry, even if only just a little bit.

"I'm sorry, shime. It'll get better, I promise. Minato never does anything without a good reason. I'll get to the bottom of this. He'd better hope his reason is good enough. Hell hath no wrath like an enraged Hatake, eh?"

Kakashi chuckled weakly, pulling back to wipe lazily at his eyes. "I'm sorry for crying, I jus-"

"Oi! Men can cry as long as they're in the presence of men. Just not often. But you're my little shinme, I can't be mad at you for feeling upset. We're nothing if not loyal and it's hard to not expect the same of our comrades."

Kakashi smiled, but inside he was broiling with an epiphany. _That _was the reason behind his father's demise. It must have killed him to think that his friends—people whom he cared about probably more than his own life—would turn on him for not completely a mission. That they would turn on him for being loyal.

"Ano... can you promise me something?" Kakashi bit his lip when Sakumo raised his eyebrows expectantly. "Could you... promise you won't sacrifice your life for someone who doesn't deserve it, okay?"

"Wh-why would you ask that?"

"Because I need you more than they do. I know it's selfish but please just promise me."

Sakumo's lips quirked up into a sad smile and he grabbed Kakashi beneath the arms, lifting him into the air. "I promise!" He spun around in a circle, just like he used to do when Kakashi was a toddler. Then he set the boy back on the ground, ruffling his hair for just a little bit too long until Kakashi snorted in exasperation. "You, little boy, need to stop worrying so much about me! You're becoming quite the morbid little

"You're all I got old man. Dads don't grow on trees... at least, if they did that'd be really weird. Maybe the Shodai's dad grew _him _on a tree." Kakashi snorted at the thought, suddenly thinking of Tenzo. He chuckled, remembering how the man had once used his Mokuton ability to give him the "Wedgie of a Thousand Yanks."He'd been sore for a week.

"Damn, I'm glad kids don't grow on trees. Can you imagine the paperwork?" Sakumo shivered. "I don't know how Hiruzen does it... He went from avoiding projectile weapons to avoiding paperwork. As smart as he is you'd think he'd just shove it off on someone else."

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and then clapped his hands together. "Oi, oi! Just because he's a pervert like you and can't read his Icha-Icha doesn't mean we should pity him! A good ninja can still read at his leisure and save the day!"

Sakumo laughed, shoving Kakashi playfully. "I'll believe it when I see it, gaki. You can't even avoid kunai when you're paying attention."

"I was distracted, ya old goat," corrected Kakashi, avoiding a playful swat from his father. He took off at a break neck pace, calling over his shoulder, "Last one home's eating your leftovers!"

He grunted when his father suddenly appeared in front of him, tripping him. He hit the ground with a thud, able to only stare after his father in desperation.

"I was going to take you out to dinner tonight, but torturing you sounds delightful as well!" yelled Sakumo, his laughter ringing in Kakashi's ears even after his father was gone.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"SLIDE YOUR TOP hand up a bit, a little closer to the hilt." Nenshou calmly reached out, adjusting Kakashi's grip. Kakashi nodded lamely, realizing how long it had been since he'd actually used a sword. He was rusty.

He didn't particularly _want _to train with anyone other than Minato, but that wasn't an option right now. Throwing away valuable training time would've been a waste. Nenshou was good at kenjutsu, not to mention genjutsu, and Kakashi would have stabbed himself before he missed the opportunity. Still, he didn't have to like it.

"All right, now show me your basic overhead cut."

Kakashi lifted his tanto over his head before guiding it down in a sweeping arc in front of him, halting its descent when it was horizontal at waist level.

"Hmm. Okay, now a side cut."

Kakashi twisted his right hand so that the blade was point away from his body, the blade pointing out horizontally. He calmly swept the blade in a precise sweep to the left, maintaining the same height at which the blade had begun. Nenshou nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "Vertical."

Raising his hands over his head as he done for the overhead, Kakashi exhaled slowly as he brought the sword down and to the right, angling the tip of the short sword to the right as he made the cut.

"Good, good. Not perfect, but you have decent form. I want you to go through them all. Just do one, then the other, and so on." Nenshou hummed softly as Kakashi did as instructed. When finished, Kakashi lowered his sword and looked up expectantly. "Ah, ah, ah! Don't rest your sword. I could—" Nenshou drew his sword and pinned Kakashi to the ground in a span of two seconds. "easily incapacitate you if you lower your sword. You have fluidity but you seem to feel a bit awkward.. . Would you rather practice kenjutsu or something else? Your mind doesn't seem to be on your work."

Nenshou sheathed his sword, moving off of Kakashi with a soft sight. He extended a hand to help Kakashi up, smiling when the boy accepted it after a few seconds deliberation.

"I get to pick?" Kakashi grinned slightly, eager to take control over something for once. "Hmm... I have shitty chakra reserves... I need help boosting them."

Nenshou snickered, the grooves of his smile-lines pulling back as he showed his amusement. "I see we have a potty-mouth, ne? Don't tell my wife, but I think a good swear does wonders for the soul. Ah... now. The easiest way to increase your charka reserves is through doing a ton of ninjutsu. However, that is the easy way and, as such, your results will be less than stellar. If you _really _want to bring up the levels of your reserves... you need to physically train. You need to build up your body so that it can accommodate for larger coils."

Kakashi nodded with rapt interest. On the inside he was smacking himself in the head repeatedly, wondering how on earth he could have forgotten these things.

"Think of it... well, actually think of it as muscle. If you have small muscles it's hard to throw around people who are bigger than you, right? You have to exercise to get strong enough for that. Your chakra is like ninjutsu muscle. You gotta build it up and increase the potency to throw around the big-boy jutsu." Nenshou beamed, pleased with his analogy. Kakashi nodded as he sheathed his sword.

His new sensei clapped him on the back, motioning for Kakashi to run with him. "Let's do a half a lap around the village!"

Kakashi repressed a groan and nodded. Minato was important to him, but slouching about and slacking off on his training wouldn't do him a damned bit of good.

His eyes glazed over as he ran; it was easy to tone out the harsh racing of his thoughts when he focused on the sound of his breathing, in and out. If he focused too much his breathing felt funny and he had to focus on the scenery around him. Sometimes he forgot how beautiful Konoha was.

Kakashi repressed a grimace when he realized that Gai was training by himself, slamming his fists repeatedly into a post. It was so strange to think that Gai was only a Genin; the Gai he'd known had been a complete power house, not a child. He experienced a brief flicker of nausea when he remembered Gai taking down as many of Lee's killers as he could. Then he smiled, because that was exactly how Gai would have wanted to die. He'd even managed to open the 8th gate. Kakashi frowned when he remembered Gai's last words.

"_Ah, the passion of youth... Naruto! Like a phoenix, you must rise above my ashes with the power of your youth!" _Kakashi almost laughed in amusement as he heard Gai swear loudly, having hit the post wrong.

'_Naruto, you sly bastard, you told Gai didn't you?'_ he demanded, smiling beneath his mask.

'... _I honestly forgot about that...' _confessed Naruto. The blonde mental-apparition paused a moment before laughing wolfishly. '_I had to tell him. He just... He was one of the few who I felt deserved to know we had a second chance before facing that grisly end. Without him rousing the troops almost constantly we'd have lost for sure, no matter what.'_

'_Hmm. I oughta start training with _him_,' _thought Kakashi, the wheels already beginning to turn in his mind. '_I will get Minato-sensei to teach me again. I will find a way. Besides, he's not the _only _teacher I can have... But I gotta at least try to get him back. He's my fucking sensei, dammit. I don't like to share.'_

Naruto laughed so loudly that Kakashi was almost a bit nervous that Nenshou would hear it. When the age-weathered Jonin didn't turn around, Kakashi let out a sigh of relief and pushed himself to run harder. '_Getting greedy now, are we, Kakashi-sensei? Ah, well, I can't complain. I'd have been pretty pissed off if you didn't teach me.'_

'_Don't worry, Naru-chan. I will do it right this time, promise!' _Kakashi allowed himself a self-assured smile as he continued his run. Perhaps this was for the best. He'd needed a wake-up call. All he needed to do now was get his shit together. The first step to doing that was to figure out what had caused them to fall apart.

"Ano... Nenshou-sensei?" Kakashi inhaled quickly when his teacher glanced over his shoulder, his startlingly red eyes reminding him of Itachi's sharingan, even if just for a moment. "Why doesn't... What did I do wrong? Why won't Minato-sensei train me anymore?"

Nenshou made a soft sound of recognition, slowing to a halt quickly before he turned around to face Kakashi. "Thought you'd never ask. He okayed me to give you his reasoning, so long as I don't make you feel like shit. Will you feel like shit?"

'_Way to be blunt,' _snorted Naruto.

"I can handle it," assured Kakashi, redirecting the conversation back to Nenshou telling him what he wanted to hear. "I just need to know why. If I know why... then it'll be easier." Easier to fix things.

Nenshou smiled softly with understanding. "Sit down and we'll have some tea while we discuss it." Kakashi sweatdropped when the elder ninja produced a small thermos and two teacups from his hip pouch.

"Err... do you _always _carry a thermos of tea around with you?"

"Aa. Tea time is anytime. There is _no _wrong time for tea." Nenshou formed a seal with one hand and blew on the thermos. He casually unscrewed the lid, ignoring Kakashi's gobsmacked expression. "Do you take sugar with your tea?"

"No. I don't like sweet things too often. Thanks by the way... " Kakashi scoffed in amusement as his new sensei closed his eyes before leaning in and sniffed the tea, his nostrils flaring widely as he made a euphoric expression.

His sensei turned to look at him, his eyes wide and sparkly. "It's perfect! Don't tell my wife, but this is why I married her. She makes the best tea I've ever had! Drink, drink!"

Kakashi cautiously eyed the cup before accepting it. Nenshou murmured a few words of appreciation before downing the scorching liquid. Kakashi shrugged and raised the cup to his lips, repressing a smirk as Nenshou's eyes quickly cut over to him. Was he expecting Kakashi to remove his mask? Pushing chakra into his fingers, through the cup, and into the liquid, he began to drink the liquid. Nenshou puffed out his lower lip before pouring himself another cup.

"It is good," confirmed Kakashi, sighing contentedly. "Oi, can you cook?"

"Hai! My wife is better at it than me, but I am a good cook."

"... Hmm. Interesting. Now about Minato-sensei—"

"Right. " The Jonin before him crossed his legs and leaned forward. He rested his right elbow on his legs, holding the tea cup aloft. After taking another lengthy gulp and refilling his cup, much to Kakashi's annoyance, he began to explain. "Minato-san asked me to train you because he felt that his methods were not... beneficial to you at this point in time. He—"

"Wait, he... it's not something I did?"

"You know, if we're going to get along you'd better learn to not interrupt me. Otherwise I'm not sharing my delicious tea," chided Nenshou, glaring at Kakashi even though he could tell the older man was amused. "And no, not exactly. Your actions on the mission... he thinks he's pushing you too hard. He would've told you himself but something came up."

"He could've told me right after he announced that he wasn't going to be my teacher anymore!" protested Kakashi. He leaned forward so suddenly that his tea sloshed all over his legs, causing him to swear in frustration. "Fuck! I just—sorry. I just wish he'd have warned me. I just thought that was what I was supposed to do..." Kakashi shrugged into his defense less child act like one might slip into a different outfit. He was done playing games. It was time to treat this like an infiltration mission. He was going to be alert and ready at all times. That way, nothing could go wrong.

Nenshou stared at him wearily, an amused smile frozen on his face. "You're kind of weird aren't you?"

Kakashi sweatdropped again, glaring at the black-haired ninja. "Yes and you're a bit of an ass, but now that we've stated the obvious—"

"I like you kid, you've got spunk!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Are you going to interrupt me all the time?"

"Are you going to insist on swearing?" Nenshou sat his tea down, folding his arms across his chest in an expectant manner.

Kakashi scowled, setting his tea down as well. "Fine. I'll stop swearing."

"Good."

"Now what are we going to—"

"Finish your tea and then we'll get started."

Kakashi groaned, his eyebrow twitching. "... You just interrupted me again."

"So? I never said I'd stop interrupting you!" teased Nenshou, giggling like a madman. "You just assumed. Now, potty-mouth, drink that tea! I have things to do, places to be, people to—"

"I think I hate you," muttered Kakashi, downing his tea.

Nenshou snickered, putting the cup back into his hip pouch. "Kids. They just say the _darndest _things, don't they?"

"... Who are you talking to?"

"Nature."

Kakashi repressed the influence of the Kyuubi, reminding himself that good six years olds didn't kill their new senseis.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

'_I DON'T _CARE _if he's not instrumental, I'm telling him. I have to tell somebody. I'm going out of my mind here, Naruto!' _vented Kakashi, grasping his head in his incorporeal hands. He was in his mindscape again, arguing with Naruto.

'_I'm the first to admit that I'm a bit rash at times, but how the fuck is he supposed to help us do anything? How is he instrumental?' _Naruto pointed out, fighting to keep his voice even. It was odd that even in his mindscape Kakashi could no longer hear Naruto's superfluous thoughts. Kyuubi rarely voiced his opinion.

'_Because he'll keep me from losing my sanity and killing myself,' _snapped Kakashi, shooting Naruto a dark glare. '_Not all of us have your fanatical zeal for life, alright?'_

Naruto huffed angrily, folding his arms across his chest. '_Psh. It's not like I haven't thought about it. I mean, okay, it's easy to just throw in the towel. Life does hae it's less desirable moments, but... Alright, let's be real, I just have too short of an attention span to focus on the bad things. I try to fix them and that's what works for me. Maybe you j—'_

'_Ah, ah, ah! You are _not _changing the subject, boy. I'm telling him and that's final. You can't stop me.' _Kakashi smirked when Naruto growled in agitation.

'_Kiss my ass, crybaby.' _

'_I can't, you no longer have an ass, remember?'_ jeered Kakashi, laughing when Naruto launched himself at him. He grunted in surprise when Naruto's fist connected with him.

'_Just 'cuz I'm stuck in here doesn't mean I can't kick the shit out of your mental self-image you self-righteous bastard!' _Naruto cheered when he kicked Kakashi in the crotch. '_Now we're even. Do as you please.'_

Kakashi grunted, ejecting himself from his mindscape. His genitals still tingled with the unfavorable sensation of being kicked. It seemed that Naruto, unorthodox as ever, was now coming up with new ways to torture him. Lovely. Just fucking lovely.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO me, happy birthday to me..." Kakashi stopped his soft mumbles of song, pushing the ramen back and forth with his chopsticks as he brooded. Sakumo was off on mission, yet again, leaving him to celebrate his birthday by himself.

He perked up slightly at the sound of voices that seemed vaguely familiar, only to grimace when he realized that one of them belonged to Inoichi. He stiffened when he felt a hand touch his hair, then vigorously smush it back and forth. He sniffed, taking in the smell of salt, honey, and something tangy. Choza.

"Kakashi, what're you doing here?" the larger boy asked, grinning in a friendly fashion.

Responding with a shrug, Kakashi glanced back to his food before looking Choza in the eye again. "Celebrating my birthday."

"... by yourself?" Shikaku snorted in derision. "That's _looking _for trouble. But I guess _we _found _you_, eh?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Leave the kid alone and let him enjoy his meal. We're intruding on his special day," chided Inoichi.

"Like you tried to intrude upon my mind?" accused Kakashi, glaring daggers at the blonde. Inoichi paled, his smirk fading instantly.

"You knew about that?" Inoichi looked away, his cheeks losing their color as he exhaled shamefully. "Look, I'm sorry about that I was just pissed off that you used killing intent on a civilian and I didn't think it was right."

"So undermining the parameters of teamwork and the rules against using jutsu maliciously against your teammate was a completely responsible and ethical move based on your motive? People wonder why I'm fucked up. If I find out it's your fault that Minato won't train me anymore you're going to wish that we'd never met."

"...Minato refused to train you?" Choza asked, suddenly looking very upset.

"More like he was concerned with my development. He thinks he's pushing me too hard. But he wasn't." Kakashi focused on his breathing and the voice of Naruto in the back of his mind. He was angry. Too angry. He hoped he wasn't leaking killing intent.

"Look, kid, I already apologized. It won't happen again but you've got some serious issues you need to work through—"

"Goddamit we're both Chunin stop treating me like a fucking kid! If you would have been on guard and done your damn job I wouldn't have had to do it for you and I wouldn't be in this position now." That wasn't completely true but he didn't care. He just needed to get out of here. "I'm sorry Teuchi. I gotta go."

Kakashi slammed his money down on the counter, muttering swears under his breath. "I swear, every fucking time I eat here something happens and I end up leaving before I can finish my fucking meal."

"Wait, Kakashi! Let me by you dinner, since it's your birthday!" protested Choza, jogging after him. "I'm sorry about my teammates, they're a little... well Inoichi can be a bit uppity and Shikaku's a know-it-all at times but they mean well I promise."

The seven year old felt his shoulders sag in defeat. "Fine."

Choza smiled, grabbing him by the arm so that he could sling him up on his shoulders. "I know you don't want treated like a kid, but come on. Not just everybody gets a famous Akimichi tag-along!"

Famous? He'd never even heard of them... That thought was quickly erased when Choza took off at breakneck pace, leaping onto a roof and then plowing across it before jumping to the next roof. Kakashi let out a very undignified squawk and grabbed onto Choza's hair in an effort to hang on.

"Slow the fuck down you powerhouse!" he screeched, all pretenses of anger forgotten. "I'm gonna pee my pants!"

Choza guffawed loudly, abruptly stopping in front of a Korean Barbeque place. Kakashi wrenched himself free of the Akimichi's grip and fell to the earth in a disgruntled heap before repeatedly kissing the ground. "Land!"

"If you think that's fun, then wait til I get Papa to spin you around on—"

"Fun? You call that fun? I call that a close brush with death!"

"Meh. More like a close brush with me being covered in your piss, but who's paying attention, really?"

Kakashi leered at the suddenly mischievous older boy and then relented, allowing himself a chuckle. "Okay, it was fun. But if I do have to pee."

Choza's eyes widened in amusement as he tried to repress a loud howl of laughter. "You're a riot, kid. Ah... I'll get us a table while you go to the bathroom, 'kay?"

Nodding in agreement, Kakashi disappeared to the use the bathroom. When he had finished his business and washed his hands, he sagged against the wall with weary confusion. He was entirely unsure of how to feel at the moment. The young Chunin could still feel the last dregs of rage trickling out through his system while the waning ripples of amusement ebbed away simultaneously.

With a soft smile that was hidden by his dark mask, Kakashi resolved to be happy even if it was only for a little while. He'd almost forgotten how it felt to be carefree for a moment and he wasn't about to lose that feeling.

By the time he found the table that Choza had snagged for them, the elder boy was already sorting through the meat and dividing it into separate piles. Kakashi noticed with a light chuckle that his pile was considerably smaller.

"Sit down already, would ya? These won't cook themselves!" Choza chirped, his voice taking on a sing-song like quality. "So how's your birthday so far?" he asked as Kakashi plopped down across from him.

Kakashi immediately soured, snorting in derision. "It's fine, I guess. I mean, I know that shinobi don't celebrate _every _birthday, but I... I feel like chichi gets called away on missions whenever I need him the most." Kakashi hastened to reiterate, not wanting to sound like a brat. "I don't mean to sound like a little kid, but it's just that I'm frustrated that Minato-sen—err, well -san, I guess, won't even tell me himself why he won't... Was it really that bad when I took out the mercenaries? I just did what I was trained to do. I don't see the big deal. Yes, I took lives. I didn't _want _to but I was the one closest and least expected to do it. I took the opening. I just feel like I'm being punished for being good at my job. Most _Genin_ make their first kill before they even make _Chunin!"_

Choza smiled as he shoveled a few pieces of meat into his mouth. Kakashi slowly ate a piece as his new friend chewed thoughtfully. "All right. You say you don't want to sound like a little kid, but... face it, Kakashi. You _are _a kid. You're tough as nail in some aspects but you're still a kid. Besides, Minato thinks you're too... well emotionally unstable at the moment."

"Eh?" Inside of his head, Kakashi was bashing Choza over the head with the tray of meat slices for taking so damn long in his explanation. It was taking all of his resolve to remain nonchalant.

"Well, you made your first kill, closely followed by two others, without batting an eye. I'm not exactly supposed to tell you this, but I think it'll give you some closure so I will." Choza's eyes darkened considerably and he leaned across the table with the pronged tool for picking up the meat, brandishing it at Kakashi. "Tell anyone I told you and I will flay you like a sweet little tuna."

Kakashi blanched and raised his hands defensively. "Maa, maa, don't worry about it! Lips are sealed. Promise."

Choza smiled brightly, setting the pronged forked down. Kakashi made a mental note not to ever threaten Choza over dinner. Especially not within range of the Korean Barbeque. "Good! Now. Again, don't tell anyone, _especially_ not my teammates, but we accompanied you on the mission to... keep an eye on you, basically. Minato-san's been worried about your mental state for a while. It's not that he doesn't trust you, he's just worried. He... after we reported our findings he was crushed. Inoichi was obligated to tell him about... his indiscretions. He's already been officially reprimanded for using a technique against a comrade—Minato-san gave him a pretty good throttling, too, actually—but he does have a point. When he tried to invade your mind... he had a lot of trouble because he says you've got a lot of sound in your head. He says that either results from heavy trauma, splitting, or a personality disorder. He doubted the disorder bit, but either of the first two could be the culprits."

"... Splitting?"

"Of your personality. Sometimes great distress or trauma can cause one's personality to fragment in order to better deal with situations. Which could apply to why Inoichi had trouble 'reading' you, but... You're too consistent to have that problem. I wouldn't worry too much about it. You just need to take it easy. It won't be permanent."

Kakashi groaned in misery and put his face in his hands. "That's _completely _different from what Nenshou-san told me!" Kakashi angrily speared a piece of meat, munching on it venomously.

"Makes you feel better, doesn't it?" remarked Choza, lifting a brow in indication of Kakashi's violent action. "But, what do you mean?"

"Nenshou-san said that Minato wouldn't train me because he think he's pushing me too hard. I need to be training _harder _if anything. Ugh! I'm going to make Minato tell me. If he won't..." Kakashi laughed evilly, spearing another piece of meat. "I'll make him miserable."

Choza set down his utensil for a second. "That's kind of dark, man..."

"Not as dark as the thoughts Minato-sen—_san _will be thinking when I kidnap his precious books, hehehe."

'_Oi, I thought you started reading them after your father... you know.' _Naruto remarked, popping up in the back of Kakashi's mind.

'_I only found out about them because of sensei,' _explained Kakashi. _'He and my father often shared books. I don't think they'll be on such good terms right now, though.'_

Naruto grinned gleefully at the prospect of a prank and receded. Kakashi smirked to himself as Choza chuckled darkly as well. "If you get caught, I knew nothing about this. My threat to flay you still stands."

"... I can't wait til you have kids."

"Huh?"

"I'm going to have_so _many great 'back-in-the-day' stories to blackmail you with."

Choza glared at Kakashi for a second before rapidly spearing all the meat from the grill and ramming it into his mouth. "For dat," he croaked around the meat, " 'ou get nu-shing!"

Kakashi guffawed when Choza struggled to chew the food. When Choza went red in the face, Kakashi was forced to jump up and thump the kid on the back. Yes. He'd definitely found his new friend; if you didn't count the fact that he didn't really have any friends.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI PATIENTLY STOOD at the door, shuffling his feet in boredom while he waited for someone to answer his knocks. After a long while the door opened and Inoichi stared down at him with surprise, his blue eyes wide with shock.

"Hi... not to be rude, but... what do you want?" Inoichi leaned back defensively as if he were ready to avoid a strike from the younger boy.

"I uh..." Kakashi scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Well, actually, I wanted to apologize to you."

Inoichi rose a brow and stared at him for a moment before opening the door a bit wider, an indication that Kakashi could come inside if he'd like to. Kakashi nodded and Inoichi shifted away from the door, allowing Kakashi entry. Kakashi immediately removed his ninja sandals and thanked Inoichi for letting him talk.

In his mind, Naruto was doing back flips and telling Kakashi that this was definitely the right move. The Kyuubi was doing its absolute best to suppress its influence.

"Er, would you like some tea, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi nodded, murmuring a polite thank you as he pondered over the addition of the honorific. Inoichi really did feel bad—the Inoichi he knew was crass and loud, just like his daughter. "I'm sorry for flipping out on you, especially in public. It wasn't right. I'm just... very private about certain things."

"No, it's my fault," said Inoichi, setting the tea down in front of them. His mother had already been preparing some, oddly enough. "I was just angry that you'd do something like that to a civilian and I thought I'd give you a taste of your own medicine. Kind of bit the both of us in the ass, though."

Kakashi nodded again, smirking slightly as Inoichi curiously watched him sip his drink. "It's okay... I won't hesitate to stab you if you try to do it again, though. So don't get any ideas. But, I do acknowledge that what I did was wrong. I'm having some... _impulse _issues as of late."

"Hmm..." Inoichi took a sip of his tea and then made a strange face. "Shit, this tastes awful. Kaa-san! You butchered the—"

Inoichi's mother appeared in the doorway, a pair of sheers in her hands. "Not another word, baka. I don't _need _grandchildren, you know."

Kakashi snickered, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth. Inoichi's mother noticed his presence and smiled softly. "Ah, Kakashi-kun! How's Sakumo?"

"He's doing well; he's on a mission right now, actually. He's _supposed _to come get some flowers for... well, anyway, he's really busy and he's such an airhead I'll have to remind him to stop by the shop when he gets back." Kakashi reddened when she made her way over to pinch his cheeks, setting the sheers on the table. He couldn't help but notice how Inoichi visibly recoiled.

"You're just so darn cute, ya know that? Inoichi, make sure you send home some dinner with him, since his father's out of the village." With that, she stood up again, grabbed the sheers and gave Inoichi a withering glare, and marched back out into their indoor gardening room.

"... She's kind of... scary," whispered Kakashi, rubbing his cheeks in a vain attempt to sooth the burning sensation.

Inoichi chuckled under his breath. "You oughta see her when she's mad. She pinched your cheeks cuz you're 'cute.' Imagine her grabbing at your earlobe when she's mad at you." Inoichi paused for a moment, realizing that his mother was probably still lurking about. "But, she's got a heart of gold. You can thank her for my moral compass, even though it's a bit fault at times. I am really sorry, though... I am impulsive by nature. Kind of runs in the family."

"I know," laughed Kakashi, thinking of Ino. Then he sighed, realizing he needed to focus. This was like an infiltration mission; he needed to be alert.

Inoichi took another sip of his tea and then scowled."Why do I keep drinking this? It's _terrible..." _

"Nenshou-san has a rather unhealthy obsession with the stuff," Kakashi commented dryly, sneering as he leered into his teacup. "Sounds a bit like—" He broke off, realizing that Inoichi didn't know about the wonders of Gai's obsession with you. "Well, he sounds a bit like a crackpot to be honest. But, at least he's interesting."

Inoichi smiled, though it was a sad smile. "I'm sorry about your sensei... I was obligated by the parameters of my mission to—"

"No, no, I get it. I did some snooping and figured things out. That's what I came to apologize. You were just doing your job. So was I. So, in a way, neither of us really _meant _to step on each other's toes." Kakashi yawned suddenly, his body trembling with the force of the occurrence. "Sorry, it's kinda late isn't it? I should probably get going..."

Inoichi smiled and stood up as Kakashi did. "Thanks for coming over. It meant a lot. You should find a better stress outlet, though. Oi, we should spar some day and see how far that killing intent of yours can go. You oughta teach me how to do it cuz my Mom won't. She prefers to keep me shaking in my boots like a two year—"

"I _heard _that, gaki!"

Inoichi blanched, averting his eyes in shame as Kakashi pulled on his ninja sandals. Kakashi stood again, stifling another yawn. "Heh, you oughta see my Dad when I swear. He's like a man possessed."

"Oh! Hang on, I gotta go get you that dinner stuff like Kaa-san said to," rushed Inoichi, realizing his misstep. "Just a sec!"

Kakashi smiled to himself as Inoichi jogged through his house, nearly tripping over a table. '_For a teenager he and I get along pretty well.' _

_ 'Yeah, well you're pretty kick-ass for a six—wait _seven_ year old,' _pointed out Naruto, snorting in amusement when Inoichi jogged back into the room.

"Sorry 'bout that! You need me to walk you home or anything?"

"I'm seven, not helpless," deadpanned Kakashi, accepting the bundle of food.

Inoichi snickered, punching Kakashi lightly on the shoulder. "Yeah, but you're short, have _delicious _food, and as my mother said... you're just _sooo cute. _Besides, she made me ask."

Kakashi repressed a shudder at the thought of women pinching his cheeks and then smiled. "See ya around, Mama's boy!"

With that, he skipped out the door, laughing as Inoichi sputtered and let loose a slew of swears. Kakashi cackled gleefully when he heard the blonde's mother begin a new tirade. Ah, can't blame a guy for getting just a _little _revenge, right?

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

AT TIMES LIKE this, he could truly appreciate the wonders of Konoha. At dawn, the dew of night still clung to the leaves and blades of grass and the crisp smell of morning perfectly suited the calming chirp of the birds. Kakashi exhaled peacefully as he trotted along on his way to a training field. He was training with Nenshou again and he was actually a bit excited. He was glad to have a reason to be out and about. That he was going to get Minato to train him again was such a sure thing in his mind allowed him to separate himself from the fact that he shouldn't be training with this man at all.

He was allowing himself—forcing himself, really—the luxury of being excited to train again. Nenshou could teach him things that he couldn't otherwise have learned.

When he finally made it to the training field, Nenshou was nowhere to be seen. Kakashi set his pack down with a sigh, pleased that he'd thought to bring along the food that Inoichi had given him a few nights ago.

Kakashi settled down on the ground into lotus position, intending to think for a few moments. What would Gai do if his sensei was late? Begin training anyway, of course. Kakashi scowled, unfolding his legs and rising to his feet. He was just beginning to stretch out when he felt a soft current of wind waft by him.

He glanced up to confirm his hunch, emitting a disgruntled huff of air when his sensei beamed at him and plopped down on the ground. "Thirsty, little grasshopper?"

"Uhm..." Kakashi briefly considered saying no then realized that Nenshou would probably take it as a personal offence if he declined. "Sure, why not. Thanks, s-sensei." No matter how accepting he was of his new sensei, it still hurt a little bit to call him as such.

Nenshou beamed at him, nodding his head in acceptance. "You're very perceptive, aren't you?"

"I suppose," mumbled Kakashi, taking a seat in front of the older gentleman. He continued to stretch out his arms as the red-eyed Yuhi formed a one-handed seal and blew on the thermos of tea.

"Jasmine tea, today!" chirped Nenshou, clapping his hands giddily after setting the hot thermos down. He set the two teacups down and poured them each a steaming cup before leaning forward again to inhale the steam. Kakashi watched in amusement as his sensei's nostrils flared out almost comically wide and the man smiled in pleasure. "You. Inhale, now."

"...Eh?"

"Just shut up and smell the damn tea."

Kakashi gave the man a look of dark consideration before leaning over, his hands on his knees, and tentatively smelling the tea. "Okay, there."

"No. Smell again."

Kakashi exhaled through his nose, exasperated. He leaned over again, taking a large whiff, and then he leaned back to stare at his sensei, an eyebrow raised expectantly. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"What now?"

"You tell me. What did you smell?"

"Tea." Kakashi sighed impatiently, reaching out to take his cup of tea. Nenshou swatted his hand away and Kakashi quickly retracted his hand, cradling it to his chest. "What was that for?"

"Tell me what you smell."

Kakashi glared at his teacher, leaning forward to smell his tea. He took a deep sniff and then paused. "This is... not tea. It's..." He sniffed again. "It's... well frankly, it smells like muddy water."

"Good. Now what did you learn?"

Kakashi smiled, repressing a chuckle. "That you made your own tea today?"

Nenshou snorted in amusement, reaching over to bonk Kakashi on the head. "Baka! Check food that is offered to you! Normally, in the company of your allies, you won't need to. But you and I aren't very close—yet. I could have easily killed you if this was poison. So what did you learn today?"

Kakashi toyed with the idea of responding 'That you want to kill me with shit-for-tea?' but quickly discarded it, realizing it was something Naruto would say. "That I need to check food for poisons?"

"Hai! Now..." Nenshou quickly emptied the cups and ran through a few quick seals, producing a small jet of water from his fingertip. He used this to clean the cups. "Let's have some _real _tea."

Kakashi smiled to himself. Perhaps Nenshou wasn't so bad. It seemed that they had very similar senses of humor, even though Nenshou was a bit more emotionally open than he was.

Kakashi quickly learned that they _definitely _had the same teaching methods. He didn't check his tea this time and ended up with a mouthful of muddy water. Nenshou laughed until the tears leaked out his eyes and he had to clutch his stomach because it hurt from laughing so hard. Kakashi vowed to find vengeance.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

REMEMBERING NENSHOU'S WORDS, Kakashi glared at the food before him. It could be poisoned. Considering that it was from Inoichi, he couldn't help but be suspicious.

He sniffed it, touched his tongue to it to taste it, and then poked it with his chopstick before finally taking a bite of it. When his mouth exploded with flavor he cursed himself for doubting its goodness.

Kakashi's ears perked up at the sound of twigs being snapped as he shoveled food in his mouth. Still using the chopsticks to force the delicious food into his mouth, he turned, surprised to see Gai careening towards him, trailed by two other young shinobi. Kakashi emitted a muted scream of panic as Gai collided with him.

He landed on his back, his chopsticks sticking out his mouth. He gagged as he began to choke on the inordinately large amounts of food and the utensils that didn't belong.

"No! I'm not old enough to kill people yet! Especially not my comrades!" shouted Gai, grabbing Kakashi off of the ground. He quickly bent Kakashi over his knee, slapping the gray-haired ninja on the back vigorously. Kakashi inwardly sobbed as his well-flavored rice erupted from his mouth and covered the ground. The chopsticks landed on the ground with a soft 'chink!' and Gai pushed Kakashi into a kneeling position.

"Are you all-right shinobi-san?"

Kakashi sucked in a shuddering breath, trying to keep the tears from leaking out of his eyes. They were actually tears of breathlessness from coughing so hard. Gai reached around him to thunk him on the back on a few more times.

"I'm good, I'm good!" reassured Kakashi, pushing Gai away from him as he coughed a few more times. "Damn, you need to watch where you're going!"

Gai turned a deep shade of red as his teammates began to laugh. Kakashi shot them a withering, killing-intent-laced glare that shut them up immediately. "Shut up. Are you okay, Gai?"

Gai nodded, then tilted his head to the side. "How'd you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things!" chirped Kakashi, immediately settling into the façade of a kid. "By the way, I'm Kakashi. You're pretty fast. We should train together sometime."

Gai smiled and nodded, laughing cheekily at his teammates who pouted and looked away. "Ja ne, Kakashi-san! Stay youthful! I'm off for a training session with our sensei!"

The black-haired child ran away with speed that should be impossible for a seven year old. Kakashi laughed, wondering what Nenshou would have said if he were there. He'd probably have demanded Kakashi to have another cup of tea and then forced him to run a whole lap around the village.

Kakashi laughed as he turned back to his food, only to shriek in terror. His food was covered in a pile of dirt, presumably from when Gai had taken off at warp-speed for his training session. Kakashi slammed his fists into the ground, cursing his luck. Now what was he supposed to eat for the next week?

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

SAKUMO WHISTLED TO himself as he entered his house, hefting the package a little bit higher as he moseyed about, trying to find an obvious-but-not-too-obvious place to put it. He ended up sitting it on the small table by the couch before shrugging out of his Jonin flak-jacket.

He smiled when he heard the sound of frantic footsteps clattering down the hallway toward him. He laughed mirthfully as Kakashi launched himself at his father, expecting a hug from his son. Instead, Kakashi latched onto his leg, staring up at him beseechingly.

"Please, please, papa! _Feed _me! I'm starving. I spent the money on a new shuriken holster and then this stupid kid ruined the food I was planning on eating for the past few days and now I'm _starving _and I—I—just _feed _me I don't care if it tastes like cow-poop!"

Sakumo stared at his son for a moment before sweat-dropping and peeling the kid off of his leg. "You're a weird one, aren't you? Are you sure you're not sick?" He pressed the back of his hand to his son's head, frowning seriously. "I think we have a problem..."

Kakashi frowned uncomfortably, shifting his weight to the other foot. "What is it?"

"You're retarded." His father smiled brightly and then ruffled Kakashi's hair. "But, I'll treat you to some dinner since I missed your birthday. I bought you something but it can wait until after we eat. How does Icharaku sound?"

Kakashi smiled and nodded, pleased to have anything to eat after not having anything but tea for the past few days. He refused to admit to Nenshou that he didn't have food and he couldn't buy any for himself because he was literally broke. Stealing wasn't an option. So he'd waited it out.

They immediately set out for Icharaku, Kakashi bouncing along sluggishly in his anticipation of food. Sakumo continually rolled his eyes. "You'd think I was getting you a new set of A-grade kunai with the way you're acting..."

"I haven't eaten in like two days!" protested Kakashi.

"You're the idiot who spent all his money."

"Yeah, well I forgot that I needed you to cash my stupid mission pay since I'm not old enough to," grumbled Kakashi, bemoaning his young age. Sakumo rolled his eyes and picked Kakashi up and put him on a stool. "Oi, I'm capable of getting up here myself!"

"I know, but I just like feeling like I have a normal, helpless kid sometimes," said Sakumo with a soft smile. "It's refreshing to see you not sulking about and training yourself into the ground."

Kakashi pouted slightly, running through various scenarios that involved him telling his father why he wasn't able to just laze about like normal kids. He resolved to tell his father after they got home.

"Sorry, Tou-san, I just... I need to be able to protect my precious people."

'_You _totally _just ripped off my line,' _snapped Naruto in mock-anger. Kakashi repressed the urge to roll his eyes.

Sakumo laughed, wrapping an arm around his son. "I'll have you know I didn't put my neck out for anyone who didn't deserve it."

Kakashi smiled; his mask covered it but he knew his father could read him well enough to know he was smiling. He returned the one-armed hug and then ordered three bowls of miso-ramen to humor Naruto's shrieking in the background.

He began to shovel the food into his mouth as though he'd never tasted ramen before. The truth was that even though he was hungry, he was secretly terrified that something annoying was going to happen to him again. Icharaku Ramen seemed to have been cursed by some strange twist of fate. He simply couldn't eat there without something happening that forced him to leave too soon.

Sure enough, Kakashi was on his second bowl when one of the over-hanging flaps fluttered and a family of three walked in. An energetic four-year old jumped up and down eagerly as he awaited his father to put him on the stool.

"Ramen, ramen, ramen! We getta have the ramen! Kaa-san, kaa-san what kinda ramen you gon' have t'day?"

Kakashi gritted his teeth, trying to force the sound of the obnoxiously cute voice out of his head. Why now?

He shoveled the food into his mouth as fast as he could, ignoring his father's look of alarm as he started in on his third bowl without pausing for air.

"Kakashi, you're going to get sick if you don't—"

"You know what, you're right! I do feel sick," Kakashi said quickly, leaping down from his stool.

"Ya know, if I didn't know better, I'd say he's avoiding you guys," Teuchi laughed, reaching over the counter to pinch little Iruka's cheeks. Kakashi chuckled nervously as his emotions began to pitch and yaw dangerously quickly. He pressed a hand over his mouth. He hadn't meant it when he said he felt sick, but he sure did now.

"Kakashi—" began Sakumo.

He yanked his mask down and promptly vomited on his father's lap. "Oh shit... I'm sorry. I—I gotta go home."

Kakashi turned on heel, yanking his mask back into place, and took off at a sprint for home.

"Kuso! Kakashi! Get your ass back here right now!"

Kakashi grimaced, sprinting even harder as he tried to beat his father home. Was he going to cry like a little girl? No... maybe he'd cry like a man. Silent tears. No sobbing. Who was he kidding? He was going to cry like a little girl.

His legs churned endlessly as he bounded down street after street. He half expected his father to chase him down, but he knew that his father would meet him there anyway.

When he came to the small gate before his home, he leaped over it and shoved through the door, tripping over the mat just on the other side of the door.

"I'd like for you to explain yourself, Kakashi," spoke a calm voice. It was cold. Angry.

Kakashi looked up, startled to see his father staring down at him with a stern look of concern. It was somewhat ruined by the brown vomit on his pants.

"I... I was embarrassed."

"If you're gonna lie to me at least do a good job," sighed Sakumo, rubbing a tired hand up and down his face. "I talked to your sensei. He says you've been acting strange for the past four months. I... I should have noticed it but I was just too happy that you were finally taking an interest in doing things together."

Kakashi stared at the ground, resting his hands on his knees for a moment. He glanced up at his father before looking away guiltily. "Gomen... I just... I can't really explain it."

Sakumo extended a hand to his son, his expression stern. Kakashi accepted it wordlessly. "You'll have to. And you'd better start at the beginning."

The youngster grimaced, staring at the floor as he contemplated all of his possible responses. "Can... can we each get cleaned up first? It'll take awhile and I think if you're covered in puke it won't go over so well. Well, not that it'll go over well either way."

Kakashi turned away to go shower, only to be halted by Sakumo's hand curling around his upper arm. "Did someone hurt you?" he demanded, his voice low and angry. "I swear to all that is holy, I will rip them—"

"No, no. Well, not... I can't explain it with a yes or no. You'll have to wait. You have to promise me that you'll listen to what I have to say without calling me crazy or accusing me of lying, okay?"

His father lowered his gaze to the floor for a moment before nodding slowly. "Alright. Now go shower, I expect you back down here in no more than half an hour. If you're not down here, I'm coming up—whether you're naked in the shower or not."

Kakashi nodded gravely. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Shoot me later. I know you guys will get ansty if I don't update so I'm cutting it off here. It's also a natural cut-off point. I have this terrible knack for having cliffhangers. **

**I know it's not nearly as long as the last chapter, but please hang in there. The next chapter shouldn't take so long to write-Holidays and family got in the way of me writing this but I wouldn't have changed it. My Mom's friend died on Christmas Eve so it was necessary that I be there for family. :/ Crazy holiday. **

**Anyway, hang in there for the next chapter. What do you think about the latest development? Props to Hichisai for helping me with details, plot-twists and general set-up and saving me from ruining my story with some whacky ideas I had. :] SUCH a helpful person! At their urging, I wrote a more light-hearted chapter to alleviate some of the excess stress/buildup from too much sad. **

**I know he didn't accomplish much skill wise, but he's making connections. I'm NOT going to be able to skip through a year each chapter. I tried. I really did. It's just not going to work. The chapters would have to be in excess of twenty thousand words and you'd all have to wait a while for updates. SO this is the alternative. **

**Review please! Much love,**

**Lauren/Mellokai **


	5. Trial by Fire

**It's been brought to my attention by an anonymous reviewer, Stop Suffering, that the book series by Jiraiya only has three books. I have decided to change that and make it an more indepth series. Also, I capitalize the first three words of my segments in the event that the formatting gets messed up. I like it that way. Also, I shall keep using Japanese because I prefer that when I'm reading and writing the fanfiction. This story was meant to be a culmination of all the things I'd want in a story, so I'm sorry about that. Also, Naruto and the Kyuub's presence are sealed inside of Kakashi—the Kyuubi only has a part of his presence sealed away—because Naruto fed chakra and knowledge into the seal over a period of a week. He long surpassed his father and mother and was able to do so. Why? Cuz I say so. I don't mean to sound bitchy, but this is just my explanation to a review that I couldn't otherwise directly reply to. Thanks for the constructive criticism though! :] I am doing my best to research and be factual so that when I bend the rules and facts it's more acceptable. I haven't even watched Shippuuden yet. I'm not gonna get everything right. .**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Trial By Fire**

_"We both could see crystal clear the inevitable end was near, made our choice, a trial by fire. To battle is the only way we feel... alive. I feel apart but got back up again." _Alibi, by 30 Seconds to Mars

AS THE DROPLETS of water careened down around him, Kakashi couldn't help but dread the prospect of getting out. He was drained emotionally, and the throbbing in his arm from where his father had gotten him with a kunai when he was too distracted to avoid the strike was now worse than ever. Kakashi lifted his face, allowing the water to wash over him. It burned, but he didn't dare turn away.

'_I know I said I wanted to tell him, but... this is so soon. What if... what if he doesn't believe me?'_worried Kakashi, raking his hands through his unruly mop of wet hair. '_I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't...'_

Naruto remained quiet; in his mind's eye Kakashi could see the young man stalking back and forth, his fingers clasped together, save for the index and thumb fingers which he had extended in the forms of an 'L.' Naruto's thumbs pressed against his lower lip, his index fingers poking into his forehead as he brooded.

Kakashi opened his eyes, hissing when the hot water scorched across his vision. He grabbed his off-duty shampoo, the kind that actually had a smell to it, and emptied some of the solution into his hands before viciously scrubbing at his scalp. He didn't think he'd feel clean in a long time.

He knew he'd be bright red when he finally stepped out of the shower, but he couldn't bring himself to care. After pouring body-wash out onto his hands, he exhaled harshly, dispelling droplets of water and the streams and rivulets that navigated over his lips in the process. When he slathered soap across his left upper-arm, he hissed, having forgotten the injury. He whimpered as he turned, allowing the water to remove the soap from the deep gouge. He'd need to use his father's special salve on it later.

Kakashi leaned an arm on the wall of the shower, sagging against it as he put off leaving the shower. He truly didn't have a reason to still be in here but he couldn't bring himself to get out. He stared at the drain as the water circled and abandoned him, not really thinking of anything at all. Only when the water ran cold did he gather his bearings and reach out to turn off the water. His skin was taught with goosebumps as he grabbed blindly for a towel. He paused when one suddenly found its way into his hand, seemingly of its own accord.

"Your thirty minutes is up, Kakashi," stated a calm, emotionless voice that he knew belonged to his father. He could only imagine the things his father was thinking of. He remembered the fear in his father's voice when he asked if someone had hurt him. How could he even hope to explain? Yes, someone had hurt him... many someones.

"Oh," Kakashi replied lamely, staring at the towel for a moment before dully wrapping the towel around his waist.

"Hurry up and get dressed. I'll be in the living room. You have five minutes."

Clipped tones. Business. His father meant business. Kakashi shoved the shower curtain back, nodding sullenly as he marched to his room. He could do this. If it was anyone else he'd have fewer reservations. But this... this was his life. His entire life revolved the death of this man and the impact it'd had on him. The thing that kept him from bolting was that he knew he'd do anything to avoid that death happening.

Kakashi didn't look at the clothing he pulled on. He blindly grabbed something from his drawers, threw it on, and scurried down the stairs flat-footed. He decided to forgo the mask, knowing that his father would only yank it down so he could more easily see the emotions play across his son's face. Such an expressive face, he'd always said. There was no use for an outward display of emotion in ninja-work, hence the gift of the mask on his fourth birthday.

His father was seated in front of the wall next to the front door, his fingers absently toying with Kakashi's various mementos A kunai from his first bulls-eye, a shuriken for the same reason, his first pair of ninja sandals... Kakashi paused in the doorway, unsure of whether to intrude upon his father or not. His father was absently toying with Kakashi's first pair of shoes, hardly as long as his pinky finger, from when Kakashi was a baby. "You grew up too fast, Kakashi," he whispered, not looking up from the delicate fabric construct.

Kakashi sucked in an anxious breath, finally gathering the resolve to enter the room. "I'm sorry."

"It can't be helped... Time cares for no one."

"It... it did for me," whispered Kakashi, refusing to look at his father when the man turned around to look at his son with curiosity.  
"What do you mean?"

"I'm not... I'm not sure how to explain this to you. Just promise not to call me crazy, okay?"

"Look, why don't w—"

"_No._Promise me," snapped Kakashi, looking up in anger. "I'm not a kid, dammit. I promise you I'm not."

Sakumo sighed and then nodded. "Fine. Promise."

His son rolled his eyes in irritation, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be scared. "You're probably not familiar with it, but the Shodai created a seal called the Eien Fuschichou Fuuin. It's forbidden because it requires the combined power of all the bijuu to be performed."

"You know about them?" Sakumo asked, his voice breathy with curiosity and surprise. Kakashi nodded gravely and Sakumo frowned. "But... what does this seal have to do with anything?"

Kakashi lowered his gaze to his lap, only mildly surprised to see that he was digging his right thumb into the back of his left hand. How hadn't he noticed that before?

"It... It requires the sacrifice of a life, the combined power of the bijuu, and a selfless person solely interested in protecting Konohagakure. I... I'm that person." Kakashi looked up defiantly, daring his father to protest.

To his surprise, perhaps his relief, he couldn't be sure, his father didn't accuse him of lying. Instead, he looked away, glancing back to his wall of mementos for that he constructed for his son. "I'm so sorry," he mumbled, yanking Kakashi into a hug. What he said next completely floored Kakashi. "I'm so sorry. I've pushed you too hard. I was just trying to protect you... but, I think I pushed too hard."

"W-what!? Get off me!" shouted Kakashi, shoving his father away from him. "I'm not crazy!"

Sakumo smiled softly, pressing his left hand to Kakashi's still-too-warm cheek. "I know," he lied, attempting to smile properly at his child.

"I can prove it!" declared Kakashi, swatting the hand away from his face. "You... Uh, you hide your pictures of mom beneath the floorboards under your bed! You arrange them chronologically and in order of important for each year!"

Sakumo stared at the floor, still clearly unconvinced.

Kakashi wracked his brain, trying to think of what else he could say to prove the truth to his father. "Shit. You haven't given me your Chakra Saber yet. When you gave it to me, you had this long speech about how it's an heirloom. Your father's father gave it to him when he was ten, and he gave it to you when you were ten. You said you were so excited when you got it that you started jumping around and accidentally ripped the hem of your Kaa-san's skirt."

An expression of relief spread across Kakashi's face when his father's eyes snapped up to stare at him suspiciously. Kakashi shivered, feeling the force of his father's killing intent. "Who are you?"

Kakashi paled, backing away. "What?"

"This is impossible..." Kakashi watched in fear as his father pulled out a kunai. Expecting the man to stab him, thinking that Kakashi was an imposter, the youth crossed his arms in an 'X' shape in front of his face, crouching down for cover. He was surprised when the blow never came. He lowered his arms, cautiously opening an eye to see his father making a neat incision on the tip of his thumb. His father whispered "Kuchiyose!" and pressed his hand to the floor. Kakashi let out a sigh of relief when a puff of smoke appeared, realizing what he was doing.

The burly dog before him stared at his father for a moment, awaiting a command. Sakumo sighed, sucking on his thumb for a moment. "Jiro, identify," commanded Sakumo, pointing a finger at Kakashi without looking at him.

The dog stared at him for a moment, a bewildered expression on his face. "Okay, boss," he said gruffly, trotting forward on short, dark-brown legs to cross to Kakashi. The boy stared at him, unafraid, as the dog began to sniff around. "Of course, you'd call directly after he showered, eh?"

He had a deep voice that reminded Kakashi heavily of Pakkun. "Eh, well, he _looks _like Kakashi... but just to be sure. Open your mouth, kid."

Kakashi smirked, opening his mouth so the dog could smell his breath. As an afterthought, he belched, snickering loudly when the dog yelped and jumped back.

"What is wrong with you? You _know _we hate it when you do that!" the dog snarled, bearing its fangs.

"Yes, I do," Kakashi stated poignantly, giving his father a pointed look. Sakumo relented, sighing heavily.

He pulled himself to his feet, walking out to the kitchen. When he stopped in front of the fridge to stare at the painting of his father, he sighed.

"Needa cup of sake?" asked Kakashi, his tone amused. His father gave him a foul look before yanking the picture aside and pulling the bottle of sake free. "...Can I have some?"

"No."

Kakashi sat down on the couch, his amusement gone. This was probably a lot to take in. It was a lot to let out, actually; he'd been relieved his father was beginning to believe him.

"Why are you here then, if that jutsu is so forbidden and hard to cast?"

The bile rose in his throat as he stared at the floor, unable to answer. His father looked up after downing a cup of the sake. Kakashi sucked in a steadying breath, trying to prepare himself for the task at hand. No turning back, not now. "Konoha was gone."

Silence settled around them, suffocating and heavy. Jiro glanced back and forth between the two Hatakes, unable to comprehend. He didn't speak though; he understood the tension between he two.

"How?"

Kakashi snorted in derision, still glaring at the floor. "Akatsuki. An organization centered around capturing the bijuu and destroying Konoha. Supposedly it was started for the purpose of finding peace, but... along the way their views became warped. Konoha became the sole target of their vengeance. They didn't even collect the power of all the bijuu... they rallied the other villages. Some joined of their own volition, others were likely blackmailed. Sunagakure by extension was toppled. The Hokage of our village... even after it was gone, we continued to fight but it was an empty battle. Even if we would have won what did we gain?"

Naruto was pounding on the walls of the box that Kakashi had forced him into, swearing at Kakashi for his deprecating speech. Naruto had poured his soul into fighting for Konoha and hear Kakashi was belitting his dreams and efforts, not that he meant anything by it.

"Can you imagine it? The entire village... just gone. Nothing but rubble and lifeless bodies littering what remained of the streets..."

Sakumo could only watch as his son began to self-destruct, tears of shame and horror rolling down his tender cheeks as he was forced to relive everything he'd been avoiding thinking about for the past four months. "No, I don't think I can."

"Damn right you can't. I'd never want you to have to, either," confessed Kakashi, not bothering to wipe the tears off of his face. He knew there'd be more. They splashed onto the legs of his pants like drops of rain. "Children... so many were just children. You have no idea the atrocities that—" Kakashi broke off, chuckling darkly. "Though, I suppose it doesn't matter because I'm here to prevent all of that from happening. "

Kakashi suddenly twisted to stare at his father. "Do you have any idea how fucking much it hurts to see the people you love, the people that you _knew_were dead, and watch them living their life, completely oblivious to what the future could be? It's so hard... I remember them as being such strong people and now they're all weak. Some of them are brats. It'd be funny if it weren't under these circumstances... every person I meet again... the first thing I think of is how they died. How much it hurt to lose them in the first place only to have to realize that I've lost them all over again when I meet them and they're not the same people I fell in love with."

Sakumo stared at his son, trying to keep his own emotions in check. "No more, please, Kakashi."

Kakashi angrily pushed himself into a standing position to stomp closer to his father. "No! You don't get to tell me to stop because it hurts. I need _someone_to know and understand how it feels and just how much I hurt. I didn't ask for this! I didn't even _want_it! But I have to because there's no one else who can. I need to know that I can save _someone._Do you want to know how you died? You didn't die when Konoha fell. You didn't die when Orochimaru attacked the village and killed the Sandaime! _No._You died when you went on a mission, your teammates were in trouble, and you said '_Fuck the mission!'_and you saved your teammates instead. They scorned you. They scorned your loyalty. You couldn't take it and you killed yourself."

Kakashi's chest was heaving with the force of his words. His father cast down his gaze, too shocked to even respond. Kakashi's voice softened as the tears continued to come, remembering that his aim was not to tear his father down. "I don't even blame you for it... I was proud of you for what you did. I just can't lose you again. Not this time. Not for people who don't love you the way I do. Not for people who don't need you like I do! "

Sakumo fiddled with his cup, unable to meet his sons gaze. Kakashi absently noticed that his father was crying as well, for one of the first times in a long time. The dog whined loudly, tugging at Sakumo's pantleg. The older man relented, rising from his chair to move closer to his son. He grabbed Kakashi by the hand and led him over to the couch. They both collapsed onto it with the weariness of men decades older than themselves.

"How old were you when... when I left?"

"Eight..." Kakashi averted his eyes, unable to bear the reaction of his father.

Sakumo stared at the boy in horror, running a tired hand over his face. "I'm sorry, shinme... I had no idea."

"How could you? It's not your fault, tou-san." Kakashi hugged his father fiercely, noting dully that the strength of his hug caused his father's back to pop and groan. "I just can't do it again. I can't. Iruka... his parents die and he's left orphaned and it just hurts so much to see him. Hell, Minato's dead, too. "

"What? _When_?" demanded Sakumo, his breathing growing labored.

"Shortly after I turned fourteen... The Kyuubi attacked the village and he was forced to seal the demon into his and Kushina's newborn son, Naruto. They... he was supposed to grow up a hero but he was shunned. I don't know how or why I even want to protect this village after what was done to him, but... Naruto did. He was amazing. He became Hokage, despite the villagers' hatred and cruelty in his youth and he _forced_ them to love him."

"Kushina and Minato... they have a child? Why didn't Kushina—"

"She died, too. So many died... " Sakumo's gaze darkened when he took in the expression on Kakashi's face. Wistfulness and regret... it was rather gut wrenching to see the expression that only a seasoned war-veteran could appropriately capture on the face of a seven year old. Sakumo pulled the boy into a hug, unable to resist the urge.

"I don't know how, but I'm going to help you, shinme. I promise. I won't leave you this time. I will help you protect everyone you need to." At his father's words, Kakashi smiled sadly into his father's shirt. The words he'd longed to hear for so long were finally gracing his ears.

"Thanks, old goat." Kakashi pulled back a sad smile on his face. "It means a lot... to not be alone in this."

Sakumo smiled painfully, yanking his son back into a hug. He was unable to face the young boy when his face bore such a tortured expression. Sakumo began absently rubbing his son's back as fatigue crept up on him, winding around him like a deadly snake.

Jiro eventually climbed up onto the couch, completely bewildered and terrified by what they'd spoken of. He curled up next to them, tucking his face into the crook of Kakashi's knee, with the boy's hand resting on his head, absently scratching him between the ears, just where he liked. They fell asleep like that, too tired and worn out by their conversation to bother moving. For the first time in a long time, Kakashi didn't have nightmares.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

IN THE MORNING, when Kakashi awoke from the best sleep he'd had in God only knew how many weeks, his father was gone. [**Note: Not gonna refer to God as Kami. Just feels weird.]**Kakashi sat up slowly, his body protesting from the odd position he'd been sleeping it. Jiro sat up as well, rubbing his eyes with his paws. Kakashi smiled absently, rubbing the dog between the ears.

"Aa, that's the spot, kid!" encouraged he dog, his leg beginning to piston back and forth as Kakashi scratched with an amused expression on his face.  
Kakashi sighed, realizing he needed to find his father and prevent him from telling anyone. "Where is he?"

"Drowning his sorrows out in the training area," replied the dog in his usual gravely tones. Kakashi gave the dog another few scratched between the ears as a means of thanks and then departed, padding down the hall apprehensively as he yanked his shirtless mask over his head. He felt a bit more secure with it protectively covering his face.

His father was seated on the floor, completely surrounded by all the little things he'd compiled over the years that had ever meant a damned thing to him. He was also surrounded by a few bottles of sake, some opened and empty and others awaiting their fate.

"You're a stronger man than I am, Kakashi-shinme. It's ironic that you're the one stuck in the body of a child," his father said, his speech only slightly slurred. Kakashi was only vaguely impressed that his father always noticed him before he announced himself.

"You can't tell anyone about this," he said slowly and deliberately. "I can't either. Naruto didn't want me to tell you, but—"

"Eh?"

"Oh. Well, he's kind of in my head. Yeah, yeah, spare me the confused and crazy looks. He..." Kakashi trailed off, listening to Naruto giving him a bit of advice. "Okay. Come here."

Sakumo rolled his eyes, but did as requested, grunting as he heaved himself off of the floor.

Kakashi reached up with both of his hands, grabbing the back of his shirt and yanking on it to pull it off. He turned around, reaching back with his right hand to tap the area between his shoulder blades, just below his neck. "Can you channel chakra into there? It won't show up when I channel chakra. Naruto made sure of that.

Sakumo nodded, having aided Minato with seals before. He tentatively applied chakra to his fingers, pressing them against the area Kakashi indicated. The chakra glowed for a moment before disappearing into Kakashi's skin. "Heh. Never seen _that _happen before." Kakashi was quiet for a moment before commanding his father to use more chakra. "If you're sure..."

Sakumo grunted as his chakra sources began to rapidly deplete. This was taking entirely too much chakra, even for normal standards. He gasped when a strange symbol began to glow on his son's back, its edges undefined. It continued to spread out with the more chakra he applied. His son suddenly gasped, telling him to stop.

"You're getting too low on chakra; I couldn't let you keep going. I think you filled it about a quarter of the way but you can look at it for a second.

Naruto put it on me at least a week before he ended up using it when we both were on the verge of death. He sealed his chakra, his intelligence, and a bit of the Kyuubi into the seal when he used the jutsu. He didn't know how to do it without leaving the fox out but he figured it was ultimately better this way. He ended up deciding to seal some of the Kyuubi's personality into the seal so that when I come into contact with other bijuu, and by extension their jinchuuriki, I can encourage them to make their containers stronger."

"... How old _are _you?"

"Thirty-four... but I try not to think about it because it makes me feel skeevy," admitted Kakashi, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "I don't think I'll ever be able to reestablish my relationship with the girl I love if I can't get over how much older I am than she is."

His father snickered, clapping his son on the back with a little bit too much force. "A girl, eh? What's she like?"

"Right now? She's four or five." Kakashi looked away, trying not to think about how much he missed the girl.

"Eh, well, she'll get there someday."

"Oi, does this mean I can read Icha-Icha again?"

"Not on your _life_. At least, not in public. If you ruin them for me I'll gut you like a _fish_."

Kakashi soured and rubbed his nose. "What is it with people and flaying or gutting me like a fish lately? But, that was honestly my next reaction to getting you to believe me. I was gonna have pull the Icha-Icha out of your weapon-pouch and tell me the title so I could spoil it for you."

"... You're lucky you _look _seven because I'm seriously debating making a dartboard out of you."

"You're too drunk."

"Oi! Maybe I've got the drunken fist, eh?"

"Ah, shame that you don't, eh, old goat?"Kakashi knew that they were just joking with one another to relieve the tension they were both feeling, but he'd rather lame jokes over uncomfortable conversation.

Sakumo swatted Kakashi on the head before lumbering off to his room. "I need to sleep off the sake. You can have some, but I know exactly how many bottles are left. Don't even think about drinking a whole bottle. I don't care how miserable you are. Showing up to training with Nenshou drunk won't go over—"

"_Shit!_ I completely forgot about that!" burst Kakashi, realizing he was probably late by now.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

WHEN HE FINALLY arrived at the training field, he was dripping sweat from having run so was indeed late. Twenty minutes late. Nenshou was calmly seated on the grass in lotus position, sipping a cup of tea as though he had all the time in the world. He smiled politely at Kakashi, indicating for the boy to sit down in front of him.

Kakashi hastily apologized and plopped down before Nenshou, struggling in vain to catch his breath. "Bit of a family emergency, I guess you could say..."

"... Did it involve mysteriously losing all of your clothing?" inquired Nenshou, leaning forward with a sneer as he noticed Kakashi's too-short shorts  
Kakashi glanced down at himself, immediately reddening and laughing nervously. "Fuck. I didn't even... I was so... I didn't even look at what I grabbed to put on. I took my shirt off to show my dad where he got me with the kunai the other day."

Nenshou chuckled in amusement, pouring Kakashi a cup of tea. "It's of no great consequence," he mused, handing the cup to Kakashi, who immediately inhaled deeply to make sure it was the proper tea. "Ah, I see you've remembered my instructions... How bad is your arm?"

"Uh..." Kakashi lifted his arm so his sensei could get a better look at it. His sensei frowned, reaching into his hip-pouch to pull out another storage scroll. He opened it, producing a large kit that he promptly opened and began to rifle through.

"You didn't remember your hip pouch, did you?"

Kakashi looked shamefully at his hands while his sensei stood up so he could move closer to smear the vile-smelling liquid into his student's wound.  
"This is very close to being infected. You need to take better care of yourself, kid. I oughta talk to your father about—"

"No, it's my fault. He's been really busy and I forgot to take care of it," rushed Kakashi, not wanting anyone to see his father in the state that he was in. "He and I had a very... eventful night. Talked a lot of things out, ya know?"

Nenshou stared at him for a moment, as though considering an appropriate response, though he ultimately decided to stand up without saying anything. He tucked the small bottle of salve back into the kit and resealed it. He tucked the scroll back into his hip pouch as Kakashi sipped his tea, gritting his teeth in an effort not to complain about the painful searing sensation caused by the salve coming into contact with his wound.

When Kakashi had finally finished his tea, his sensei calmly cleaned the cup and sealed away his own and the thermos into their designated storage scroll and stored it away in his hip-pouch. "Go home and get dressed. Meet me at the gates of the village in an hour. We're going away on an important mission—a _very _important mission. I'll brief you along the way, since you were late getting here. Pack for a two week trip, got it? It's gonna be dangerous."

Kakashi beamed, excited to finally get a cool mission. He thanked his sensei and then took off for his home at a breakneck pace, hoping to avoid anyone seeing him in his short-shorts and shirtless state.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

AFTER A FEW hours of traveling at a breakneck pace, Kakashi gathered up the gumption to ask Nenshou just where they were headed. He scratched the back of his neck when a fly tried to take a reprieve from its flight.

"So where are we going?" inquired Kakashi, leaping across a few more giant branches before allowing himself the luxury of slipping a hand beneath his hitai-ate to relieve himself of the sweat that was pouring down his face in rivulets. Nenshou was moving at almost ridiculous speeds. Kakashi was beginning to regret his earlier bursts of speed; it'd tired him out a little bit but not that little bit of extra energy would be greatly appreciated. Taking a soldier pill was _not _an option because he couldn't risk building up a tolerance to them.

"Cha no Kuni," Nenshou replied succinctly, not bothering to say more. Kakashi contemplated asking more but decided that he needed to save his breath for a while longer.

Nenshou continued to run at a pace that was easily full speed for Kakashi for another two to three hours before slowing to a walk. Kakashi refrained from murmuring thanks, instead taking in ragged gulps of air to replenish his oxygen. The corners of his vision felt hazy and his body felt completely and utterly drained but he refused to say so. He needed to get stronger.

He was dully surprised when Nenshou promptly sat down and began to remove his tea essentials from his hip pocket. His demeanor didn't change however; he continued to pant and wheeze as the older man calmly performed the single, customary seal to heat his tea. When Nenshou reached into his pouch and withdrew two cups of his tea, Kakashi continued to get his breathing back to normal. It wasn't truly necessary that he wheeze anymore, but he figured it couldn't hurt to ham it up a little bit.

"Sit down, chibi," commanded Nenshou, taking a sip of his tea as he gazed thoughtfully into the swirling brown liquid. Kakashi complied, sinking to his knees in a tired gesture. He sniffed his tea, as was now becoming a per-usual habit, and then took a tentative sip. Ah.

"Ne, Nenshou-san?"

"Sensei," corrected Nenshou, blatantly disregarding Kakashi's question. He pulled out a scroll and began to browse through it, his eyes focused and intent upon the information.

"Gomen, sensei. Nenshou-sensei, you never explained what exactly we're doing on this mission," began Kakashi, making sure to accentuate the tiredness of his voice. "What exactly are we doing?"

"A dangerous mission," confirmed his instructor, nodding his head gravely at the thought. Kakashi smirked to himself, pleased for a bit of fun. As young as he was, a mission that was considered 'dangerous' would have been considered a cake-walk for him in his previous life.

"Ano... How dangerous?" Kakashi did his best to sound apprehensive, as all intelligent children of his age should sound. He was debating on whether to follow up Nenshou's answer with a brash, confident answer or a meek, timid one.

"Bandits. Possibly a few ninja. We're on a retrieval mission. What we're going to collect is on a need-to-know-basis and unfortunately for you, you don't make that list. You are simply a courier." Nenshou firmly clasped his hands in his lap as he regarded Kakashi. "This is a mission of great importance, Kakashi. Life or death; do you think you can handle that?"

Kakashi settled on grave and slightly timid. He was, after all, openly terrified of his father's death. Seeming so brash would have been contradictory. "H-hai," he stuttered, perfectly executing the grimace of disdain at his own 'weakness.' Nenshou chuckled, reaching across the space between them to ruffle his hair. Kakashi grimaced to himself, remembering how often he had done that to Naruto.

After finishing their tea, they set off again. Nenshou was careful of testing Kakashi's limits; he'd push Kakashi until he began to stumble and then they'd slow to a lighter jog until Kakashi seemed to be running well enough again. Kakashi was pushing himself as hard as he'd ever pushed himself. If he could exhaust himself into not dreaming, he could sleep on a mission. On the majority of missions, speed was not a necessity and pushing one's self to such extreme speeds—or at least, extreme speeds for someone of his stature—was not an often occurrence. Not often enough for him, anyway.

When they settled down for the night, Nenshou insisted on constructing a single, large tent. Kakashi frowned at this but set up helping set up the tent in a somewhat cheerful mood. Young Kakashi was never _too _cheerful.

'_You're finally slipping back into the Kakashi I know,_' mused Naruto, chuckling mischievously. '_You're a good actor, though, when you can focus on it.'_

'_Yeah, well, I am trying to adjust. I'm learning to suppress our little foxy friend but I can't do it all the time. When I'm super tired it's harder, but that's to be expected, I suppose,'_mused the gray-haired ninja, wiping a bead of sweat off of his brow. He unzipped the tent and practically dove inside with all of the enthusiasm of a little boy. Sometimes, the urge to be a child actually did grip him and he couldn't give in. It felt good to just act his age.

Nenshou laughed at him, chucking a scroll to him. "Here. Keep a hold of that. It might come in handy, all right?" Kakashi nodded, smiling hard enough to cause his eye to crinkle. "Don't use it until you're desperate though."

Kakashi nodded, slipping it into his hip pouch before changing for bed. He was relieved to notice that the motions felt heavy and extremely taxing to perform. Yes, it was safe to say he'd sleep like a rock that night.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

BUBBLES FLOATED AROUND him like lanterns, illuminating the darkness of his world. Kakashi felt his mouth stretch wide in a smile of wonderment as he glanced around. He exhaled slowly, feeling the woosh of air against his lips as more bubbles joined his atmosphere.

He experimentally attempted to breathe in, his feeling very cold as he suddenly realized he was drowning. He trashed wildly, attempting to get himself to the surface. That was of little use as he couldn't tell which way was up and which was down.

He parted his lips, allowing a minuscule amount of air to leave him. He was horrified to see that the bubbles dispersed in every direction, providing him no sense of direction whatsoever.  
Suddenly a sense of calm settled over him and burning sensation in his lungs died away. He could feel the familiar calmness of breathing settle over his body again and himself smile when realized he could indeed still breathe. He laughed to himself as a dolphin whizzed past, cackling in typical dolphin fashion. It arched and twisted, coming back to meet him. Kakashi stretched his hand out to meet it, an enraptured feeling overtaking him. The dolphin sang out, nodding its head as if beckoning him to join them.

Kakashi complied, laughing joyously as the dolphin swooped beneath him, picking him up on its back and carrying him away into the prettier parts of the ocean. Occasionally something fearsome would cross their way, but all in all it was the best dream he had had in a long time.

When he was finally roused from his sleep, it was already late morning and the birds were chirping with earnest glee. Kakashi rolled over slowly, unaccustomed to the lazy, relaxed state of his body. He smiled to himself as he forced himself into an upright position, reaching his arms over his head as he stretched out languidly.

"Join me, Kakashi-kun," invited Nenshou from across the tent. Kakashi redirected his gaze to focus it upon his elder, who was sitting calmly in the corner of the tent with his tea utensils spread about him in what Kakashi surmised was a very specific arrangement. He did as his sensei implored, crawling childishly across the space between the two of them until he kneeled before Nenshou. "Ohaiyo... Did you sleep well?"

It was an innocent question, but Kakashi tensed slightly, knowing that it might not be by complete coincidence that he'd had good dreams. He decided to err on the side of caution by doing the natural thing and answering honestly. "Hai. Much better than usual, oddly enough."

Nenshou simply smiled and poured Kakashi some tea, turning away to fiddle with a scroll while Kakashi began drinking the tea. Kakashi lazily rubbed at his face between sips, trying to stem the fatigue that was creeping into his body. It seemed that restful sleep was a double-edged sword. It made his body realize how much it craved it.

He pushed any acknowledgements that wouldn't further his stamina out of his mind and began to do a mental check of his surroundings. Three exits. There were two zippered doors; the other exit would involve slicing an opening in the bottom of the tent and then flinging it off of them to create a diversion. The sun wasn't completely risen yet; it hovered above the horizon. Perhaps only eight to ten in the morning. The smell of dew was long gone. How long had he slept for?

"Kakashi, I'm feeling a little under the weather today so we're starting out a little slowly. I take it you were tired as well. It's already later than I would liked to have started out so we're going to have a full breakfast and then head out at full speed." Nenshou's warm voice washed over Kakashi like a soothing blanket of peace and Kakashi had to mentally shake himself out of the trance he could feel himself falling under. For whatever reason, Nenshou was trying to put hi at ease.

The gray-haired ninja nodded absently, only fully coming back to reality when he smelled the sharp aroma of meat frying up on a hot stone. Nenshou smiled at Kakashi's quick glance and starting forking over the goods. Kakashi couldn't turn down such a polite offer.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

'_NARUTO, I DON'T know if eating such a heavy breakfast was a good idea,'_Kakashi mentally grumbled, trying to keep the breakfast in question down as he charged through the foliage, meters behind his sensei.

'_Ne, Kakashi-sensei, you oughta lay off the bacon.'_

Kakashi's face darkened at his student's advice and he resolved not to complain anymore. Especially if Naruto of all people was going to tell him not to eat so much.

Absently, he noticed that Nenshou was slowing down at a pretty significant rate. He put on his own burst of speed in an effort to catch up with the man, almost laughing when he reached the man and a "completely necessary" tea-break was taken.

The young ninja sighed, settling down onto the ground as Nenshou drank his tea. The man was highly offended when he didn't accept his serving of the tea, but stopped his pressuring when Kakashi admitted that he was feeling a bit ill from breakfast.

Instead of drinking the tea, he took to practicing his Fuketsu Hira, attempting to cover only his fingers with the dirt. This was a new concept he was struggling to piece together but it wasn't working very well. He was completely aware of _how_to channel elemental chakra but getting his inexperienced body to do it was completely another. The chakra he'd drawn on as an adult was much more powerful than his current meager, insubstantial supply.  
Nenshou sat by, idly watching the boy without bothering to interject in either favor or objection of his practice.

After a small amount of time had passed, Nenshou rinsed his teacup and packed up his things, commanding Kakashi to get ready to leave again. Kakashi dusted his hands off on the seat of his pants, nodding to the older man as he pulled his large backpack onto his shoulders again.

For hours and hours more they traveled. Kakashi was quite worn out by the time they made it to a small town a few hours from Cha no Kuni. Kakashi was secretly relieved to have a hotel to stay in because that meant, at least before bed, he could smell like a normal human being. After a while one grew tired of having no smell about them.

Years of working in ANBU had caused him to literally have a craving for his own human smell. The time most people left ANBU was when they had become too good at blending in... by that time they'd forgotten how to behave in normal situations. Rediscovering his most basic human parts had been a large part of regaining his humanity after those dark years.

He was pleased to find that this time he was able to shower in mental state of calmness not calamity as he had on his last mission. Nenshou ended up having to come in and bang on the door, screaming at him to "Get the hell out before he made the water in the water tank boil so Kakashi would come out looking like a lobster."

Kakashi was not pleased.

In the morning, after another night of bizarrely good dreams and a large breakfast, Nenshou and Kakashi set off at a breakneck pace to travel to Cha no Kuni. Nenshou was suddenly overly urgent to get there and Kakashi couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

Before long, they arrived at the small peaceful village. Kakashi and Nenshou carefully weaved through the crowds in the streets, trying to avoid any run-ins with merchants who were excessively pushy. At first, he made it a point to attempt to locate possible get-away paths and exits but after a while he was lulled into a false sense of security by the peaceful sounds and atmosphere of the village.

Every so often Nenshou would glance back at him, obviously trying to mask his anxiousness. Kakashi was definitely intrigued by the mission, but years of carrying out ANBU missions had worn out his curiosity.

"Stay here," commanded Nenshou when they reached the door of a small inn. "Go in, check into the room I reserved. It's under the name 'Shinjutsu.' Don't leave until I return. Try to get some sleep, you look like hell."

Kakashi nodded, wondering to himself how he could possibly look so terrible when only his eyes were visible. He straightened up his posture ever so slightly, realizing that his slouch had been one of fatigue and not his usual indifference.

Nenshou smiled in what Kakashi could only surmise was nervousness before jumping into the air, spiraling into a back flip, and landing with sure feet upon a roof over twenty yards away. Kakashi stared after his sensei as he darted along rooftops, off to pick up whatever it was that he was chosen to pick up.

Putting aside any curious thoughts as to what the mysterious item could be, Kakashi strode through the door of the inn. He couldn't help but hope that _this _innkeeper would have the common sense to treat him as an adult and that, should the innkeeper be an idiot, he wouldn't release any killing intent as he had last time.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

A ROUGH SCRAPING sound filled the small room as the door was hastily pushed open. Kakashi looked up from the mirror, almost dropping his towel in surprise. Naturally, he'd already put his mask back on, but that was all.

Nenshou was too disgruntled to have the decency to look sheepish. "Get dressed, we have to go _now!"_

Kakashi didn't waste time asking what had happened; he simply nodded and began to get dressed. His modesty was of little importance. The severe tone of Nenshou's voice was actually quite starling—he'd never heard the man so furious.

"Did you retrieve the objective?" he asked, yanking his pants up over his hips. Nenshou shook his head in disgust.

"No. It wasn't there. We were misinformed."

Kakashi nodded, doing the buckles of the straps on his modified ninjato sheath. Nenshou looked at him curiously for another moment before sighing loudly.

"All right, let's go. You go pay for the room and I'll eradicate any proof of our existence here."

Again, Kakashi nodded, accepting the ryo that Nenshou thrust into his hands. He expertly navigated out of the room, down the stairs, and into the lobby in less than a minute. At the door of the lobby, he halted. He could hear the sounds of loud voices arguing, but he didn't allow his momentary apprehension to deter him.

Calmly, he marched up to the front desk and forked over the cash, his ears straining to hear the conversation of the gruff looking men that were crowded by the door as though waiting for someone.

"That son of a bi—"

"Don't worry, you fat slug. We'll find him soon enough. The quickest way to get to the Tea of Life is to follow that Yuhi fella. Now shut up before someone hears us!" snapped a particularly brutal looking man. Kakashi repressed the urge to shiver. He chose instead to focus on the man's words. Tea of Life? Oh _hell _no.

Kakashi quickly paid and scurried back upstairs, anger rising in his throat like bile. He quashed it, begging the Kyuubi to restrain itself. He quietly slipped through the door, closing it gently behind him as Nenshou scurried about, steaming out all of the sheets to remove any traces of DNA.

"There are four men in the lobby," the young ninja informed, keeping his voice neutral. Nenshou looked up, fear flickering across his gaze.

"Four, eh? Did you hear them speaking about anything?"

"Nothing in particular, save for some talk about... a _Tea of Life._ What could they mean by that?" Kakashi asked innocently, his eyebrows rising in mock confusion. Nenshou's features immediately broke out into a mischievous smile.

"I'll explain on the way," he whispered, moving to the window before Kakashi could object. All the young boy could do was follow.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"YOU CALLED IN this mission yourself?" deadpanned Kakashi, narrowly avoiding the thrust of an old, dodgey looking sword. He punched his attacker square in the face, a warm feeling of pleasure spreading through his stomach when he noticed the look of confused terror in the man's eye. He detested being underestimated.

"I am on a quest for the greatest tea that one can ever taste in life!" explained Nenshou, using a Katon jutsu to take out two of their attackers at the same time. It was a different gang of thugs, but they were troublesome nonetheless.

Kakashi grunted, dropping down onto one need to avoid a wild slice from a clearly unskilled swordsman. He pushed down on the bent leg and then sprung upward, pivoting on the ball of his foot to deliver a high kick the man's extended elbow. Still too short to kick him in the face, he resorted to rendering him ineffective in a fight.

Nenshou congratulated him when he saw the strange posture of the man's arm, but Kakashi ignored him. The thin man before him squealed in fear and Kakashi dropped to the ground, using a hand to steady himself as he swept his leg in a low arc, knocking the thug onto the ground. A sharp kick to the temple later and the man was unconscious.

Nenshou dismantled most of the group, but Kakashi took out at least three of the thugs in the two to five minutes it took to render them harmless.

"I can't believe you," panted Kakashi, using the back of his arm to wipe a bead of sweat away before it could slip into his eye. "All of this for ... _tea_?"

Nenshou patted Kakashi on the head as though he felt sorry for the boy. "The heart wants what the heart wants." Nenshou chuckled lightheartedly before darting for the trees again. "Someday you'll understand!"

Kakashi followed after him, mumbling under his breath about how senseis were supposed to be respectable and loving tea had nothing to do with life.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

SAKUMO BOWED HIS head as he stared at the empty bed his son had left behind. He'd taken a few weeks off from missions to come to grips with what his son had told him. So far he wasn't doing too well.

He exhaled slowly, trying to gather the gumption to get up and do something. He knew that killing himself again—it was weird to think of himself as doing it _again_ when he couldn't actually remember doing it in the first place—was not an option. He'd already abandoned Kakashi once. He couldn't do that to the poor boy a second time. It was too hard to think of his as a man because his son was... well, his son was Kakashi-shime. He had not yet sprouted into the man that he would become in the future.

Sakumo pushed himself off of the chair he'd dragged into Kakashi's room, grabbing the bottle of sake by the neck as he trudged down the short stairway and long hallway to the living room.

With a grunt, he plopped down onto the ground next to the front door in a disgruntled heap. Reaching out with a trembling hand, he latched onto the kunai that dangled before him. Kakashi's first bull's-eye... He smiled to himself at the memory. A nagging pain bloomed in his chest as he realized all the firsts that he'd probably missed in his son's life. The first time his son had kissed a girl... gone on a date. He'd missed his son's first shave, first love, first heartbreak... he'd missed it all.

He glared at the bottle in his hand, his grip tightening as he realized that he couldn't—no he _wouldn't—_do that to the boy this time. He would be there for him for all of it. Through everything, he was going to be there. He'd do his utmost to ensure that his son achieved his goals of protecting Konoha, even if the majority of the people within it didn't deserve his help.

Sakumo let out a startled yelp when he bottle shattered in his grip. Then he laughed, realizing that his decision was clearer than ever. No more sake. No more self-pity. He would be strong, if not for his own sake, for his sons.

Not bothering to clean up the mess he'd made, Sakumo scurried off to the small training room that was down a different hallway from the living room. He had work to do. If Kakashi was going to save Konoha, he would need all of the training he could get. Sakumo just hoped he could find what he was looking for.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI GRUNTED, FLINGING the kunai at his intended target with much more ferocity than he needed to. His aim wasn't as perfect as accurate as he'd like and he'd be damned if he couldn't fix it. However, it seemed the more tired he became, the worse his aim became.

He flung another kunai, swearing when it missed the center of the target by a margin of six inches. Again and again he threw until his arm was screaming, begging him to halt his merciless torment.

The sound of a kunai whistling through the air roused him from his training and he looked up in time to see the kunai land on the target, widely off-center. A girlish laugh accompanied the woosh of the kunai, spiking mirthfully when it impacted the target.

"Kakashi-kun! I missed you!"

Kakashi spun around lazily, already knowing who it was just by the sound of the laugh. "Yo."

Anko fixed him with a pointed glare, yanking another kunai out of her make-shift hip pouch. "I ain't seen ya in _monfs _and all you say is 'yo?!'" She flung the small knive, missing by practically a mile.

"I haven't seen you in months and you attack me with weapons?" he mused, pushing his chin forward as he smiled at her. Anko chuckled and flung another at him for good measure.

"Yeah, well the instructors at duh Acadamy said dat since I ain't got no family I don't got any responsibilities and I can just practice all duh time!" she chirped, smiling widely. Kakashi could see that her teeth were finally starting to come in, though only barely.

"Ahh, interesting," he murmured, glancing back at the targets. "Isn't doing you much good, is it?"

Anko stomped her foot angrily. "Don't do you dare make fun of me, you jerk!"

"Maa, I'm not making of you," he assured her, ambling over to her so that he could see how she held the weapon. "Here, grab another one and lemme see how you're holding it. They don't always teach the orphans properly..."

Anko ducked her gaze, looking as though she'd been slapped. "... Do dey really do dat?"

Kakashi nodded, but grabbed her hand in an effort to lighten the mood. "But I'll teach you! Here, show me how you hold it!"

She smiled at him now, forgetting her momentary insecurity. She reached into the pouch, grabbing out another blunted kunai. She swore under her breath when the pouch fell off, but Kakashi simply bent over and grabbed it before she could throw a fit.

Anko held the kunai in her hand, bracing a pinkie beneath the shaft of it. Kakashi rolled his eyes and immediately reached out and pushed her pinkie back over the handle, explaining that she'd break her pinkie that way. Anko's cheeks darkened, though whether it was in anger or shame he couldn't tell. He angled the point of the kunai so that she'd have an easier time throwing it and then told her to do so.

After about twenty minutes, he'd managed to correct some of her throwing motions and even make her laugh a few times. Not that it was too hard to do that.

"I wish I was better at dis... I'll never make Genin if I keep frowing like this..."

"Anko, you're _four_. You just started at the Academy, I doubt they expect you to—"

"Nuh-uh! I'm five, dammit! I just turned five!"

"You did?" Kakashi frowned, realizing he hadn't gotten her anything. "I'm sorry, I would have gotten you something."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I didn't get you anything... remember?"

"Yeah, but you're not a ninja yet. I have all the money in the world to buy stuff so I can get you a present... I'm gonna get you the best present, I promise!" vowed Kakashi, wincing when tears sprung into her eyes.

"Y-you don't have to! I—"

"Nope. I'm getting it."

Kakashi grunted when she glomped him with an extra-large hug. "Dank you, Kakashi-kun!"

Kakashi wasn't sure if it was just the lack of oxygen to his brain, but he was almost certain he heard perverted giggling somewhere nearby.

**Author's Note: This is very short in comparison to what I wanted, but FRET NOT! There is more now that this clusterfuck is out of the way. I'm so sorry it took so long but I had end of the semester craziness, Black Ops II to play, and a shit ton of school work and family aggravation to wade through.**

**Let me know if you liked it and please don't ask me to write quicker. I'm doing my best. I promise. If you have any questions, suggestions, or the likes, just ask away and you know I'll answer you! :D**

**Lauren/Mellokai**

**P.S. Ohaiyo means good morning, in case you didn't know. [:**


	6. Fodder for Fire

**Chapter Six: Fodder for Fire**

_'No turning back, all alone and there's nobody else who even knows I'm missing. And I will run, but this time, it's worth more than the chance we're taking.'_ This Time, by P.O.D.

* * *

"SAKUMO, WE NEED to talk," spoke Minato, waiting calmly in the doorway of Sakumo's home. Kakashi perked up behind his father, realizing just who was at the door.

"I do believe that's true, Minato-san," Sakumo said coolly, never dropping his guise of being an irritable father talking to a 'cruel-hearted sensei.'

Minato graciously accepted Sakumo's wordless invitation and entered the home silently, removing his ninja sandals as soon as he was over the threshold. Sakumo immediately went off to the kitchen to get tea for their gust. Kakashi calmly regarded his sensei as the man sat down next to him on the sofa.

He remained silent until Sakumo returned with the tea which he had prepared inordinately quickly. It seemed as though he suspected a visit from Minato.

"It would seem that you two are responsible for buying all of my sensei's books," Minato commented dryly as he accepted the tea that Sakumo set before him.

"Aa, it would seem that way, wouldn't it?" Sakumo said evenly, though a comedic glint appeared to twinkle in his eye even if only for a moment.

"It's been three months since you dropped me as your student without explanation and I knew this would probably be the most steadfast way to get your attention and demand a counsel with you," informed Kakashi, keeping his eyes directed carefully into his cup of tea.

Minato smirked slightly as he considered his tea. "Mmm... I was forbidden by the hokage. It seems that someone had a complaint about the extent of your progression. They felt that you're not fit at the age level you are to be learning the kinds of things I have to teach you and I was advised not to tell you this. However, now that you've resorted to such underhanded tactics I feel that evading you would only escalate your anxiety. The main reason I wasn't to speak to you was to avoid an unsightly confrontation that some feared might occur. "

Sakumo stared at Minato for a moment, actually surprised by the man's frank admittance. "Ya don't say? So who was the complainer, eh? Danzo?"

Minato's sharp look of alarm and then forced calm solidified the casual question. "I am not at liberty to discuss it."

Kakashi looked as though he was having an internal battle of wits, but he couldn't help himself. In truth, he was having an internal battle of wits. He needed to tell Minato at some point, but he had a gut feeling that now was not the right time. If the twinge of pain he was feeling between his shoulder blades was any indication that wouldn't be for a long time. He needed Obito and Rin to be on his team so that he could save Obito and prevent the Kyuubi attack if need be. He knew Obito was Tobi, but he couldn't help but want to save the boy. He knew it was his fault...

Shaking away the feelings of self-loathing, Kakashi raised his gaze to meet his sensei's pitying look. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I was under direct orders..."

"It's okay, Minato-sensei... It just would have been easier if I'd known... Did you really hire the Ino-Shika-Cho team to keep an eye on me?"

"I was worried for your emotional well-being. We were so close I thought that... I was afraid you'd do something drastic. I knew you were acting oddly but I thought maybe it was just you growing up. I trust you've found out what was bothering him? I've heard glowing reports about how 'awesome and fun you are' from more than just Choji. You've grown on Inoichi and Shikaku as well, which is quite the feat. They're a bunch of brats sometimes."

Kakashi laughed to himself and nodded, glad that they'd made it past the awkward stage. "Does this mean you can train me again?"

"No... I can't. But Nenshou-san seems to be doing a great job. I've been keeping tabs on my favorite pupil," laughed Minato, though his eyes were somber. Kakashi nodded in agreement and then sighed. "Well, I think I'd better get going... Thanks for the tea, Sakumo-san."

"Don't mention it, Minato. I mean really, I don't know how you made it through the sitting with a straight face. That was terrible tea."

Minato smiled slightly, though he refused to admit just how foul the tea had tasted. Sakumo and Kakashi exchanged bashful glances as Minato left.

Once Minato was out of the home, Kakashi turned on his father with an accusing glare. "Laxatives? You put laxatives in the tea?!"

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"COME ON, KAKASHI!" snapped Sakumo, swatting Kakashi on the shoulder with a flexible birch branch. The small strip of wood stung across his skin, leaving a blazing welt behind. "You're not trying enough!"

Kakashi grunted, trying once again to focus chakra into the palms of his hands. Even as an adult he hadn't spent much time bothering with this type of chakra control exercise.  
As he focused the chakra into his palms to attempt, once again, to stand on the water in the bathtub, Kakashi thought over the past year of training he'd endured under his father. While his results were better than if he'd trained on his own, they were still far from conclusive.

Building up his muscle was impossible with Kakashi's near-anorexic eating habits that resulted from his father's terrible cooking. Sakumo had taken to joining Kakashi at his training sessions with Nenshou, both to spy on his son and seek culinary advice from the kindhearted Yuhi.

Kakashi grunted in frustration when his palms breached the surface of the water, and he was sent crushing into the bathtub again. He lay there beneath the water for a moment before dragging himself out and sitting on the edge of the tub.

"Why isn't this working? I've been at it for months," whined Kakashi, unable to help himself.

Sakumo sat down on the closed lid of the toilet, bracing his elbows against his knees as he pondered. "I'm not sure, shinme, but perhaps you need more incentive?"

"Avoiding that damned switch is more than enough incentive, tou-san," snapped Kakashi, giving his father a dark look. He strode out of the room, stripping off his wet clothes as he went. He needed a break.

"Look, maybe we should take to some mental conditioning later—"

"Can I have the night off? I know I'm being ungrateful but... I just need to get out for a while." Kakashi paused in the midst of taking off his shirt to glance over at his father hopefully.

Sakumo smiled softly, relenting. "Go on. Tomorrow... tomorrow we're going to pull off the revenge tactics on your old sensei. I still haven't gotten a satisfactory answer from the man. He's very private, isn't he?"

Kakashi smiled, nodding sadly at the mention of his previous mentor. He brightened at the prospect of seeing his best friend whom he'd been unable to see for the longest time. Anko's tutelage under Orochimaru was beginning to consume all of her time. Between training and attending the academy, he'd seen her roughly twenty times since their improntu training session the year before when he'd taught her how to properly hold a shuriken.

"You going to go see your friend?" mused Sakumo, lifting his chin in approval when Kakashi nodded shyly. "So how does that work, being in love with someone you can't—"

"Shut up, you're disgusting," snapped Kakashi, folding his arms across his bare chest. "Nothing is happening and nothing will happen for a long time. I may have the body of an eight year old but I'm not going down that road. I'd be no better than Orochimaru. Besides, I can't alter the timeline too much. I won't know what happens if I do that now."

Sakumo rolled his eyes and walked over to Kakashi, ruffling his hair in specifically the way he knew the boy hated. It was so much fun to ruffle his feathers, so to speak. "I know, I know, I just like teasing you. But don't deny yourself too many freedoms or you'll grow old and bitter, like your old man. "

"You're not bitter, you're just old."

"Oi! Get back here you little shit, I"ll show you old!" barked Sakumo, already chasing after his son. He couldn't deny that there was a mirthful glint in his eye as he took off after Kakashi, though. It felt good to be an active part of his son's life when he knew he'd been neglecting it before.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI SHIFTED UNCOMFORTABLY, avoiding the scrutinizing glare that Anko was casting in his direction.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Ano... I've been training with my—"

"Training, training, training. You act like I'm the one who's busy but it's you, not me! Do you know how many times I've tried to visit in the past month only to find out you were busy or off on some training trip with your stupid dad?"

Kakashi reddened both in anger and embarrassment. "I can't help it that I need to become stronger and he's trying to help me! I can't stay weak for forever! I have things I need to do!"

"What's so important that I can't ever see you?" Anko demanded, stomping her foot in frustration. "I only have you and stupid Gai to be friends with... and he's not even normal! Orochimaru-sensei thinks he got hit in the head a few too man—"

"Don't talk about him like that," defended Kakashi, drawing his brows together in frustration. "He's one of my best friends, too, and you can't talk about him like that!"  
"Or what?" challenged Anko, a devious smirk in her eyes.

Kakashi thought about it for a moment. "I'll kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes, realizing that he'd said the wrong thing. Before she could respond, he lunged forward, simultaneously using a hand to knock away the defensive posture she'd taken up and kicking out his foot to jerk her own feet out from under her. She fell to the ground with a loud 'OOMF!' and laid there for a few seconds before whipping out a kunai and plunging it deep into Kakashi's arm.

He hadn't been expecting that.

Kakashi stayed still for a moment before angrily pulling himself away and yanking out the offending kunai before viciously flicking it in her direction. It missed her head by mere inches.

"Wait, Kakashi, I'm sorry!"

Kakashi didn't care. He'd had enough; he just kept walking.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"SHE FUCKING STABBED me! Who the hell does that? "

"You did threaten to kick her ass—"

"How the hell would you know that?" demanded Kakashi, pulling away from his father's grasp. His father set down the roll of gauze and calmly reached out to adjust the bindings on his son's arm.

"I was... making sure things didn't get out of hand?"

"You're unbelievable."

Kakashi glared at his father for a moment before breaking down and laughing.  
"That may be true, but you're also going to have an unbelievably hard time getting down this training with your arm like that. We're going to have to come up with some alternative forms of-"

"I can do this! You have no clue what I'm capable-"

"I am very aware of what you are capable of, shinme. In this time and in this body, you are _not _capable of pushing yourself as you could in your other body. You're still a child. You don't have the genetic makeup yet to allow yourself that kind of stress. You're not going to force your body through puberty just because you start training away at things _now_. You need to be smart about this and keep a level head."

Sakumo gave Kakashi a hard look before relenting with a sigh. "We can try the chakra exercise but I'm telling you now you're not going to be able to do it. You'll have to do something else, shinme. I am certainly capable of finding you the training you need."  
Kakashi stared at his father for a moment, his features heavy with consideration and frustration. "Fine. Let's go, I can do it. I'm telling you-you have no idea of the things that I will accomplish!"

Sakumo smiled, pleased to see his son so determined. "I'm sure you'll do great things," he whispered, more to himself than Kakashi, as he wrapped the youngster's arm. After finishing the wrapping, he patted Kakashi on the back. "Looks like you're ready to go."  
"Then let's go. I'm telling you I can do this," assured Kakashi, an amused lilt curving the syllables of his words into a playful challenge. '_I think your competitive nature is rubbing off on me, Naruto.' _

Kakashi marched out of the living room and down the hall to the bathroom where he turned the hot water on and stopped up the tub. He hissed slightly when the scalding hot water flooded over the back of his hand. After shaking his hand dry, he began yanking his clothing off until he was solely in his boxers. He needed to give himself an extra reason to do this properly.

"Are you sure about this, chicchai-ikko?" (Literally means little one) asked Sakumo, furrowing his brow in consternation.

Kakashi nonchalantly shrugged, removing his mask so that he could properly grin at his father. "Of course, old goat. I know what I'm doing."

He casually turned off the water, effectively turning away from his father so that he could grimace without being seen. He forced himself into a calm posture as he rested his hands on the edge of the bathtub. With a soft grunt he pushed himself up into a handstand, ignoring the screaming protest of the muscles in his arm.

Kakashi tentatively reached out with his uninjured arm, pressing chakra into his palms and fingers as he did so. When the water began to churn beneath his hand, he decreased the chakra flow a hairs breadth and then settled his hand on top of the water. Perfect. Now if only he can get his other arm to do the same... It was strange how it took him getting attacked to be able to do this. Or so he thought.

As he tried to move his injured arm to the water, he regretted the stress he'd put on it by going with his other arm first. His arm trembled and shook and the chakra didn't want to flow like it normally did... what exactly had she _done _to him?

Kakashi let out a startled cry as he lost his balance and fell into the scalding hot water. He screamed in pain when his head smashed into the faucet, forcibly disloding it from the wall. His father quickly reached in and plucked him out as the water began to rain down around them.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think _that _would happen," admitted Kaksahi, cradling his head in his good hand. His father hugged him back, ignoring the water raining down around them.  
"It's okay, I probably shouldn't have let you do it...I guess I ought to take you to the hospital to-"

"No! I hate hospitals," protested Kakashi, visibly going white as he remembered all of his previous trips to the hospital. Seeing so many of his beloved comrades laying in beds, dying, was enough to keep him out of a hospital for as long as possible.

His father sighed, realizing that he was getting nowhere with his attempts of trying to be fatherly at the moment. "Very well... we'll need to get you bandaged up again, then."

Kakashi winced as he nodded, trying not to grimace too much when he realize just how much blood was seeping from his open head wound. "What about the bathtub? Where are we going to bathe?"

"The community baths, I guess," suggested Sakumo.

Kakashi rolled his eyes in annoyance, thinking of all the people who were always dying to get a good look beneath his mask. This was so not worth it. It almost never was, but he couldn't bring himself to go in maskless just yet. Where would the mystery be then?

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

A FEW DRINKS and a couple of hours later, Sakumo guided a woozy Kakashi to the hot springs after having managed to stop the spray of hot water from jetting from broken faucet. He'd called a repair crew to come in and clean while they were off getting their bathing requirements achieved, but nothing could be done about the mess that had appeared in the bathroom during their little... accident. Kakashi thought it best to leave it until morning and his father agreed.

Kakashi sunk deep into the water, keeping his injured arm held above so that he didn't have to worry about it stinging in the hot water. His scalded body was a bit tender but he couldn't do anything about the heat at the moment.

He was still wearing his mask, but he had a warm towel placed over his face to allow some more moisture to get at his skin so he could keep it clear should he ever be seen without his mask. In his other youth, he'd ended up getting some acne as a result of not tending to his skin better. No one had been around to teach him about it so he'd assumed it didn't matter. He wouldn't make that mistake this time around, no.

As he soaked, he began to notice the sound of perverted giggling. That set bells off in his mind and he immediately sat up, the cogs and pins twirling in his mind as he hastily concocted a plan.

This had to go off without a hitch.

"Tou-san... err, Sakumo, I'll be back," informed Kakashi. He felt a little awkward calling Sakumo father now that the man knew they were mentally around the same age.

Sakumo nodded, unworried about Kakashi's wearabouts. He had a novel to read.

Kakashi followed to sound of the giggling until he was standing outside the women's side of the bath, directly behind a white-haired man that appeared much younger than he remembered.

He calmly placed his hands together in a tried and true seal. "Oiroke no jutsu!"

Kakashi nearly sweatdropped when the older man immediately shrieked with glee and clapped his hands together. Apparently his jutsu was more effective than Naruto's because he was much more... acquainted with the female form, not to mention he knew the true means of what was sexy and what was not. He left just enough revealed to make men curious and hungry for more but covered just enough to leave something to the imagination. The imagination was almost always better, anyway.

Jiraiya could only stare as he was surrounded by scantily clad women, some with gray hair so light it appeared white and others with dark gray hair that shone that silver. Kakashi smirked in amusement when the older man's jaw dropped nearly to the ground and blood began to seep from the man's nose at a more productive rate than Naruto had ever managed to achieve.

When Jiraiya finally snapped out of his stupor—this only occurred after Kakashi released the jutsu—the older man clapped Kakashi on the back and congratulated him for such an original and 'devastating' technique.

"Say how does one so young as you even know so much about the female body?"demanded Jiraiya, eyeing Kakashi suspiciously. "Did Tsunade send you? Oh man, she's gonna throttle me for—"

"Tsunada-sama did not send me," assured Kakashi, inwardly rolling his eyes. "I came to ask a favor of you."

"What is it?"

"I need you to train me. I'm... well, I'm your hugest fan. My father doesn't know I read your books, but—"

"These books are not meant for such young eyes! But... what'd ya think? Were they good?" asked Jiraiya, raising his eyebrows expectantly. Kakashi embraced his inner fanboy and nodded eagerly, jumping up and down ecstatically.

"I love the suspense and the romance! It makes me feel as though someday I can have my own woman to love and cherish!" he chirped truthfully, wishing he now had someone just to even cuddle with. Thoughts of sex for him at this point were just impossible because he was missing all of the necessary hormones.

"Muahaha, that's great! I'm so glad you enjoyed them... hmm, tell ya what. Meet me at Training Ground 9 tomorrow and we'll see what you can do, eh? I might be a little late because I have research to do, but... we'll see what happens when I get there!"

Kakashi nodded to himself, pleased that accomplished his task. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sama!"

"Ah, I like that... respect. I tell ya what gaki, I like you. Just remember... be there at eight!"

Kakashi nodded, turning on heel to stride back to his father and report what he'd accomplished. He felt highly successful at this point.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"YOU DID _WHAT?!" _cried Sakumo, grabbing his head in shame. "He's going to think I'm a despicable person for letting you read them!"

Kakashi blanched, realizing what he'd been so careless as to forget. "I'll explain it to him tomorrow… I'm meeting him at Training Ground 9 at eight in the morning."

Sakumo set down his bowl of ramen and sighed, lowering his head to the counter. "Are you sure those two being in your head isn't harming you?"

Kakashi shrugged, taking another sip of his Ichiraku take-out ramen with an air of nonchalance. "I'm not sure what to think anymore," he admitted, setting thbowl down. "All I know is that Naruto warned me about my anger. Literally, the majority of Naruto's personality and by extension a portion of the Kyuubi's rage and personality has been sealed inside of me. But Naruto couldn't seal away the influence of Kyuubi because he needed to able to influence me himself, as well."

"So… you've basically got the rage of the Kyuubi sealed inside of you? How are you not massacring everyone right now?"

"The Kyuubi… it isn't truly bad. It just wants to live out its existence as it sees fit. Naruto apparently has conditions with the Kyuubi. It will still be sealed inside of him when he's reborn but it will be done differently so the next Naruto can use the powers for a better use without the Kyuubi trying to sabotage him."

Sakumo nodded in understanding, finishing the last of his take-out with a hearty slurp. "Interesting. So if you get Jiraiya-sama to train you… what is your goal for that?"

"In the future, after Jiraiya has evaluated my—"

"We should tell Jiraiya-sama. After you can gain his trust I can help you to tell him what has happened and he will be our best shot at saving Konoha. We need to gather the Sannins—"

"Orochimaru betrays us, papa."

The timid, sad sound of Kakashi's voice quieted Sakumo's inquisitive behavior and he stared into remaining dregs of broth in his bowl. Every so often he'd glance over at Kakashi who stared at his unfinished ramen dejectedly.

"I'm not hungry anymore," muttered Kakashi, attempting to push away from the table so he could try the leaf exercise before he went to bed.

"Ah, ah! Finish up your dinner. You'll grow even _taller _if you actually eat this time around. Or maybe you'll fill out and –"

"I'll eat but only if you stop bugging me for looking like a 'skinny scarecrow.'" Kakashi bargained, sticking out his chin defiantly. His father smirked and nodded, walking into the kitchen to clean his bowl. "And if you learn to cook," he whispered under his breath.

"I heard that! And besides, I'm actively learning to cook. You'll see someday, I promise!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes but smiled to himself, praying that he would. His father's dangerous mission was coming up and his father was determined to take the mission on anyway. This time he planned to save everyone _and _complete the mission—he'd borrowed Kakashi's nindo. Kakashi was beginning to fear that it was going to get his father killed. He was praying that he'd be able to see the day that his father could actually cook because he was somewhat certain that wouldn't be for a very long time.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

IT WAS ALREADY ten o'clock and Jiraiya still hadn't shown up. Kakashi groaned as he ran yet another lap around the small training field. He was determined not to waste the time that he was spending waiting on Jiraiya.

With each step, his arm throbbed, but he couldn't give in just yet. He had too much to do, dammit. After completing ten more laps—it took him longer than usual, but he blamed the throbbing of his arm—he took it upon himself to begin doing the Fuketsu Hira, attempting to expand the jutsu so that more of the area covered his palms. [1]

When he could only manage to get a layer of dirt about three inches think on his palms, he scowled. He began to initiate the process to release the jutsu, realizing his desire to throw something. He figured it would be a good to practice throwing his kunai. Kakashi paused, gripped by a sudden spur of inspiration. He reinitiated the jutsu, and then stood up with the clod of dirt still steadfastly secured to his hand.

He pulled back his arm and then slung it forward, severing the chakra flowing through his palm and fingertips to the dirt. The dirt clod release, flew a few feet, and then fell to the ground with a loud thud. Though amorphous in shape to begin with, it managed to retain its shape even after being flung about three yards.

Kakashi froze up, staring at the wad of dirt as he realized what he'd just done. He threw his hands up in the air, letting out a whoop of excitement as he realized he could probably tweak this newfound ability into a full blown jutsu of his own creation.

When a soft bout of giggles erupted behind him, he spun around to find Jiraiya staring at him.

"You know, its one in the afternoon, I kind of figured you'd leave. I didn't think you'd stick around and train the whole time. I showed up at eleven and saw you training. So I watched and watched, waiting for you to get tired but you haven't. Now you go and throw a little happy fit because you're….creating your own jutsus. By accident no less… Hmm. Gaki, you're sure an interesting little fella."

"Th-thanks, Jiraiya-sama!" rushed Kakashi, trying to hide his dirty hands behind his back. He looked like a mess.

"Now, show me that…. What jutsu did you hit me with yesterday?"

"It's called Oiroke no jutsu," mumbled Kakashi, irritated that Jiraiya was more interested in a perverted jutsu than the one he'd just invented.

"Did you invent that, too? I've never seen anything like it… but I'd like to see it again!" He chirped, his lecherous grin creeping Kakashi out just a bit too much for comfort.

'_Ah, hell, just tell him you created it so he'll train you._' Naruto ordered, using his Hokage voice. Kakashi complied, and nodded to Jiraiya who clapped gleefully. Before the older man could do anything to prepare himself, Kakashi put the jutsu into effect again, laughing when Jiraiya sprung a massive nose bleed. This was going to be a very functional partnership.

He calmly walked over to Jiraiya who was now laying on the ground, twitching something terrible. "I expect to see you here, tomorrow, at eight. That way we can actually get something accomplished."

As he walked away, he smiled to himself, pleased. He let out an 'oomf!' of surprise when he ran into a solid wall of resistance. Standing before him was Jiraiya, a look of amusement on his face.

"I'm not that easy to take down! I may have enjoyed your little trick back there, but I'm no average pervert! I'm a _super _pervert, all right? You'll have to do better than that!" As if to prove his point, Jiraiya immediately punched Kakashi in the stomach, sending the poor boy flying.

Kakashi struggled to his feet, gasping for air. "What—what—was that for!?"

"Come on. You want me to train ya, don't'cha? Well show me what you've got!"

Kakashi growled impatiently and took off running at the taller man. He planted his right foot on the ground, pushed off, and launched into a spinning roundhouse kick. He attempted to catch Jiraiya in the chin, but the older man easily stepped back and grabbed Kakashi around the ankle. He easily flung the small boy aside, even laughing when he hit the nearest tree like a sack of potatoes.

"Is that all you've got?" he chided, making a tutting sound. "You'll have to do better than that!"

Kakashi angrily brought his hands together, rattling out the seals for Kiragakure no jutsu. He hadn't yet done it in this body but he figured it couldn't be too hard. He pumped as much chakra as he could into it without causing it to fail and then let out a soft huff of satisfaction when he saw the thick mist beginning to form around them. Without missing a beat he knelt down to the ground, his hands forming the seals of Uma, Hitsuji, and Tatsu.

After performing the seals for the Fuketsu Hira, he slammed both of his fists onto the ground, collecting dirt as quickly as he could. He stood up once again, already in the process of flinging the wads of dirt as his soon-to-be-sensei. Jiraiya let out an 'ooof!' of surprise when he noticed them coming, though he quickly dodged them.

Kakashi was the one who was surprised a moment later when Jiraiya sprung through the mist directly at him, kicking him down to the ground like a sack of flour. Kakashi rolled quickly and carefully, dragging his hands along the ground so he could try to collect dirt as he went. It was a risky move, trying to attempt a sealless Fuketsu Hira that he had yet to master, but it was worth a short.

Ignoring the pain that trembled through his arm, Kakashi forced himself to fling the dirty mass at Jiraiya as he spun through the air after rebounding off of the ground. This throw hit Jiraiya squarely in the face, even though it was only a small chunk of dirt. He simply laughed, having not expected Kakashi to make up a move on the fly like he had.

"You're innovative, ain't ya squirt?"he demanded, reaching down to help him up. "I've decided to teach ya, gaki. But only cuz you're fun to kick around and you can help me with my research. I h—" Jiraiya broke off, realizing the long trail of blood running down his new pupil's arm. "Were you injured? I didn't even attempt to hurt you."

"Gee, thanks," muttered Kakashi, rubbing his arm in annoyance. "Yeah, some crazy chick stabbed me earlier when I threatened to kick her butt for making fun of my bestfriend."

"Hmm... interesting. Well, I'll be off. I'll see you here at dawn tomorrow."

Kakashi grunted in agreement, then began to walk off towards home. "Thanks, Jiraiya...sensei."

"That's Jiraiya-sama to you, gaki!"

Kakashi could only smile as he dragged himself home. He was one step closer to his goal.

**Author's Note: I know we're a few days late and I know I've not been good about updating but my life's a mess. I though this new, exciting chapter would tide you over for a while, though. :P**

**(1) ****Someone pointed out that he shouldn't be learning Earth style jutsu if it's not his main element. Well Lightning is. Google chakra natures and on Narupedia you'll find a little picture where it has Fire, then Wind, then Lightning, then Earth, then Water, followed by Fire which will end the cycle. The arrows point in that order. So, it makes sense that Earth style is the next style that he'd learn.**

**^^^^^ TURNS OUT THIS IS COMPLETELY WRONG. SO from here on out, he'll be working a bit on his Fuketsu Hira but mainly he'll be working on Water as Fantasi Liar suggested. Thank you Fantasi Liar and Imsabbel for pointing this out for me! Much love! **

**Please review and let me know what you think. **


	7. Flickering

**Chapter 7: Flickering **

_"Be my friend, hold me, wrap me up, unfold me. I am small and needy. Warm up and breath me. " _Breath Me, by Sia. The acoustic Version is GREAT.

"SO I'VE HEARD some very interesting things about you from Minato sensei," informed Jiraiya, cocking his head to the side as he regarded his new student. "I hear you're quite... adept at certain jutsus, even ones that aren't for your particular affinity."

Kakashi nodded uncertainly, fear growing in the pit of his stomach at the hungry look that Jiraiya was sending his way. When Jiraiya gleefully clapped his hands and smiled, Kakashi briefly considered running back home. '_Is he always like this?' _

_ 'No, never! It was a pain in the ass to even get him to teach me _anything,_' _admitted Naruto, his voice wistful and jealous. '_I guess it's because he had to spend a year of our trip teaching me the basics, but still...' _

"All right kid, get up. We're going running."

Kakashi groaned, unable to help himself. He had a feeling this wouldn't end well.

"Oi, I'll teach you the cool stuff in a little while but first we got to get my other pupil. He's lagging behind his team a bit and I need to get him up to speed because I owe the kid a favor."  
Jiraiya owing a kid a favor? Kakashi pocked the thought and scampered along after his sensei who had already taken off at a painfully quick pace. Kakashi struggled to keep up; he was gasping for air by the time they reached the small clearing where Jiraiya had been leaing them. A rhythmic THOCK!... THUNK! pattern echoed through the air and Kakashi immediately know whom they were here to collect. None other than Maito Gai, future-green-beast-of-Konoha.

"Gai! How'd the hitting coming along?"

"Not well," confessed Gai, sheepishly looking at his feet. "I only made it to two hundred before you returned."

"Ah, Gai, you must try harder!" encouraged Jiraiya, already feeding off of the excitement of his pupil. "But, sadly, we have other things to do! You two are going to run three laps around Konoha as fast as you can and then after that we shall begin calisthenics."

Gai nodded, already stretching out to begin the run. Kakashi mentally began to prepare himself for the trek as he limbered himself up for the monstrous task before him. He flinched when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Kakashi, it's all right if you don't make it. He and I have been at this for month-"

"I can do it." Kakashi said shortly, stretching his arm over his head. "I have to. If it will make me stronger then I will do it."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, obviously filing Kakashi's statement away for later review. Kakashi repressed the urge to tense up in fear now that he was being studied. He couldn't allow it to affect his performance, however.

Within five minutes they were off, jogging slowly at first to warm up their bodies. When a soft burn had settled into their limbs, they steadily pushed harder and harder until their limbs went numb. Around the end of the first lap, Kakashi's body began to protest violently but he pushed through it until his body returned to a state of numbness. Mid-way through the third lap Jiraiya forced them to stop so he could sit Kakashi down and give him some water.

"You can't _force _your body to make this trip. We're going to be doing this every day so just give it time-"

"If I don't try my hardest I'm holding you back. I'm holding you back right now," gasped Kakashi, trying to shove the bottle of water away from his mouth after he'd taken a long sip. "Let's go before my body cools down too much to finish it!"

"No. We're not going. You're not being admirable you're being stupid," chided Jiraiya. "If you damage your body you'll slow us down even more. Stretch out and cool down. We'll finish the lap and you can rejoin practice with us after we're done. I expect you to _walk _the rest of the way back. "

Kakashi growled but submitted to his strict orders. They all stretched out for ten minutes and then Jiraiya and Gai took off at a slow jog that would allow Kakashi to be able to walk the rest of the way and not be too terribly late.

Kakashi walked after them at what felt like a miserably slow pace, contemplating the various ways he could catch up to them. He could always perform a series of Shunshin. While relatively low in terms of chakra drain, a series of them might leave him heaving and useless. Kakashi squatted down to grab a fistful of pebbles so that he could throw them at trees while he walked.  
The sound of them rhythmically thunking against the wood soon matched the pace of his steps. He tried to increase his speed but the terrible pain that trembled through his body quickly shot that idea to hell.

Kakashi angrily flung a pebble at a tree so hard that it rebounded and smacked against his cheek. Rubbing the smarting flesh through his cheek, Kakashi growled as he walked along. Then it hit him. It was so simple he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it. Minato-sensei would love him for thinking of such an ingenious idea.

Kawarimi no jutsu. Kakashi chucked a pebble as far and high into the air as he possible could and then quickly rattled off the seals. Ohitsuji, Inoshishi, Ouhi, Inu, Hebi. (Ram → Boar → Ox → Dog → Snake) He focused on the rock and then let out of a laugh when after a brief puff of smoke he found himself hurtling through the air at high speeds. He landed painfully on the ground, but he didn't' care. He lay back on the ground and chortled helplessly, until he realized he had to meet up with Jiraiya-sensei and Gai.

He grabbed another fistful of pebbles and went along, chucking them as far as he could before using the Body Switch jutsu to fling himself forward around fifty yards at a time. Sometimes he'd make it a challenge to throw the rock and try to perform the jutsu before he hit the ground but he wasn't yet fast enough with his seals to accomplish that.

Jiraiya and Gai had only been in the clearing for ten minutes when Kakashi casually Kawarimi'd right behind them and tapped Gai on the shoulder. Gai immediately began to spout on and on about Kakashi's youthfulness, but Jiraiya wasn't having it. He glared at Kakashi and grabbed him by the arm, knowing full well that it was the boy's injured appendage.

"I told you not to run the course. I specifically told you to _walk_. Go home and meet me here tomorrow when you are ready to follow orders."

Kakashi's shoulders sagged and he stared at the ground angrily. He'd only figured out a way to improve his travel. He shrugged out of Jiraiya's grip, flung another pebble, and began to Kawarimi out of the clearing. He half-expected his mentor to follow after him when he realized what he'd done but Jiraiya did not. Kakashi half-heartedly Kawarimi'd his way home and collapsed onto the couch in front of his father, who looked at him for a brief moment before heading to kitchen and beginning a recipe that Nenshou had spent nearly a month trying to teach him. It was only Kakash's second day of practice and he already looked like shit.

Kakashi dragged himself into the kitchen, knelt down painfully at the table, and leaned his elbows onto the table even though he wasn't supposed to. "He sent me home because he told me to walk and I ignored him..."

"I hate to tell ya this, but in this world you're still a kid. You have to follow his instructions. That's probably why he sent you home. "

"But I figured out how to travel with Kawarimi! He didn't even say anything!"

His father turned around slowly, an amused smile on his face. "You did? I'm proud of you."

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask."Thanks. Least somebody is."

"You bet, kiddo. Now after we eat this, you've got training with Nenshou-san, remember? I'll search through the scrolls while you eat and see if I can whip up any of the old healing balms but I've not had to do that since I was a kid."

"Why didn't you ever teach me this stuff?" asked Kakashi, pouring himself a cup of tea.

Sakumo stared at the half-prepared meal before him and sighed. His face darkened as he spoke, realizing the errors of his ways. "I thought I still had more time."

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING, around seven, a knock came at the door. Kakashi lazily shifted his weight, pitching it forward so that he could roll off of the couch without looking up from his book. He missed it and didn't want to give up reading it. Nonetheless, when he reached the door he pocketed the book, shoving it into the pouch at his hip.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see none other than Danzo. He repressed the flinch of surprise he felt crawling along his shoulders and courteously invited the man in.  
"Would your father happen to be home?" Danzo inquired, slipping his shoes off as custom dictated. Kakashi paused, intending to say no, but his father managed to enter the room before Kakashi could lie and say he wasn't there. The seal was beginning to seriously burn and hurt him.

"Let's go get some tea somewhere else, if you don't mind. I don't wish to insult you with my rather poor taste in tea," suggested Sakumo. He handed Kakashi his shoes, indicating that he would be joining him. "I'm sorry to bring my son along for business, but being the only clan heir it is very important that he learn the ways of adults."

Kakashi quirked his eyebrows in confusion but his father's impassive expression yielded no further instructions. Submitting to his father's caution, Kakashi began to pull on his ninja sandals.  
Less than twenty minutes later they were seated in a tea shop, ironically one owned by Nenshou-sensei's rival. Kakashi smirked in realization, immediately knowing what must be done.  
As they waited for their fresh tea, Danzo began to talk in hushed tones. "It has come to my understanding that you are extremely motivated in terms of business. I understand that you have recently changed your nindo a much more sophisticated and useful one. Saving one's teammates should always be a close second to the mission but you've managed to culminate the two into one and use the former as a motivational tool. Even I can appreciate that."

"Thank you sir," said Sakumo, graciously accepting the tea set before him by a lovely waitress. She winked at Kakashi as she set his tea down before him. "I am curious as to the reason for this most impromptu meeting... "

"I have a proposition for you," murmured Danzo, setting his teacup down. Kakashi reached into his hip pocket, removing a small pill. He crushed it between his fingertips and sprinkled it discreetly in his tea as he reached out to pick it up.

Danzo didn't notice the exchange, this Kakashi was sure of. The old man was too focused on his father. "I want you to be part of a new squad, one that will seek to protect Konoha in the best way possible."

That was his cue. Kakashi gulped down the tea like a man possessed. No sooner than twenty seconds later he began to convulse violently, his body flailing to such a degree that the little table was overturned by the force of his tremors.

Danzo leaned back from the table, staring curiously at Kakashi. Kakashi was barely hanging onto reality, hoping his father would realize what he'd done. Nenshou's favorite trick: poisoning people. Admittedly, Kakashi could have been more careful about how much tea he drank but he needed the results and he needed them quick. He could have faked it but he needed it to be real or Danzo would've known what he was doing.

He couldn't remember if he'd told his father about Danzo's treachery or not and so he was forced to react drastically. This was the mission his father had been killed on; he remembered how his father had been part of the Deathly Hand, upon Danzo's request. It was literally suicide mission after suicide mission and for good reason-these were ninja Danzo knew he could never trust. He picked the most impossible missions to give them and when they died they were heroes unless they didn't complete the mission. Danzo had set his father up for death, this Kakashi knew, and he wouldn't let it happen again.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"GEEZ, BRAT, YOU just have a knack for getting in trouble, don'tcha?" mused a voice next to Kakashi. He blearily opened his eyes, relieved to see the white ceiling of the hospital. When he realized just where he was, he began to panic. He didn't want to be here. Everything about it reminded him about the things he'd lost and how badly he missed them. Kakashi clamped his eyes shut and sat up, aiming to jump out of bed.

"Calm down kid, you're gonna have a heart attack at the rate you're headed," snapped the voice again, pushing him down onto the bed with a short push. Kakashi opened his eyes, surprised to see Jiraiya and not his father.

Kakashi stared at him for a few spare seconds while he attempted to remind his mouth how to formulate words. "Where's tou-san?"

"Out on a mission. He said to tell you he's sorry but it's something he has to do... for himself. Whatever that means," said Jiraiya in an offhand fashion. He reached across Kakashi, plucking an apple off of his tray. "Ya know, you're a bit underweight. You need to start eating better. The food here's definitely better than anything your father can make-"

Kakashi sat up again with a start, having already forgotten where he was. "Did he accept the mission Danzo gave him?"

"Yep," confirmed Jiraiya, taking a loud, large bite of the apple before tossing it up and down twice and taking another bite. "Why?" he asked through a mouthful of food."

"That _idiot_. It's a suicide mission and he knows it!" snapped Kakashi, leaping out of bed, intending to grab his clothing and chase after his father. When he collapsed onto the floor in a useless heap, he gasped in both frustration and realization. His father had known what he'd do. He'd known he'd poison himself in an attempt to force his father to stay. His father had known and had planned right around that fact, intending to redeem himself while his son lay helpless, incapable of stopping him.

"Why are you crying?" asked Jiraiya, kneeling next to him. "Are you worried? Listen, gaki, that man is better ninja-"

"He'll die if he tries to save everyone. He can either sacrifice himself for the mission or he can try to save everyone and he'll be scorned for throwing the mission. I know it..." Kakashi flinched away from the soothing hand that Jiraiya had attempted to settle on his shoulder. "That's what the Death Hand does-they fucking _die. _They might as well be called the 'Dead' Hand. Danzo knows what he's doing when he sends them out on those missions."

"Those are might words from one so small," murmured Jiraiya, setting his hand on Kakashi's shoulder even though the boy tried to brush it off. "I advise you not to say them again in untoward company. I don't trust the guy either but how you've come across that assumption is very peculiar. You and I have a lot of talking to do in the future. Minato's told me of your strange change in personality this past year. He even went so far as to get DNA samples to make sure you were the same person... you're turning into a mini-Minato whether you realize it or not. Let me tell you, kid, that's not what you want. That man has more problems than you'll ever realize."

"I know... I just want to help him," Kakashi said honestly. "Sooner of later we'll have other teammates... or we would have. I wanted to help protect them. That's my job, isn't it? I need to be stronger so I can protect my teammates."

Jiraiya smiled and pulled Kakashi into a hug. "If I ever have kids they'd better be like you. But," said Jiraiya, pulling away. "I'm too old and pervy for that. Can you imagine how a kid would turn out with _my _genes?"

Kakashi snickered, wiping the few remaining tears away from his eyes. "They'd be the best smut writers _ever.__" _

"Damn straight. Cuz I'm the number one super pervert! And I use my pervert powers for good! Unlike my best friend, Orochimaru. He's just creepy. None of the ladies like him! But me... oh, ho, ho! The ladies love Jiraiya!"

Kakashi laughed, shaking his head in amusement. He'd be just fine in the hospital as long as Jiraiya was with him.

"Oi, Inago, I don't think you're supposed to be on the _floor, _that's what you have a _bed _for," came a voice from the door, a smirk evident in the male's voice. As soon as he heard Inago, Kakashi knew it was Nenshou because his sensei was the only one to call him grasshopper.

"Yo, Nenshou-sensei." Kakashi said awkwardly. Jiraiya immediately picked him up off of the floor and plunked him back into bed.

"I see you've employed the technique I taught you. I'm pleased you chose to do it at my rival's business and not mine. I am here to enquire as to why you would willingly poison yourself." His tone was dry, devoid of humor.

"You poisoned yourself?" asked Jiraiya, gobsmacked. Danzo and Sakumo both had explained that the tea was probably meant for Danzo. He was, despite his debaucherous ways, an important figure in Konoha as a councilman for the Hokage.

"Hai... I... I was worried he'd accept the mission. But I guess it backfired because he went anyway," Kakashi grumbled, unable to help himself. "They didn't see me do it though, but my papa knew what I was going to do."

"As long as you weren't caught... Did you happen to see the look on Kimchi's face?" Nenshou's' roar of laughter filled the room. "Priceless. Here, have some tea. You've earned it."

Kakashi gratefully accepted the tea, and so did Jiraiya. Recognition felt good, no matter how someone said they didn't need it.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

THE TWO WEEKS that his father was gone on mission very slowly. Kakashi spent his time training viciously, throwing himself into the work as best as he could. When that became too much and both Jiraiya and Nenshou refused to train him until he got some sleep, Kakashi took to spending all of his time sparring with Gai and the rest of his team. Ebisu and Genma were fairly nice, though both were two years older than Gai. Kakashi supposed that's why the boy lagged behind a bit, especially because Ebisu was considered a genius, but it made no difference to him.

Ebisu was, as he had been in the future, a great teacher already. He helped Kakashi to perfect his Kawarimi traveling jutsu so that he could use it with only minimal chakra output. He commended Kakashi on his already near-perfect chakra control, but it wasn't enough for Kakashi. He was intending to jutsus the likes of which would require near inhuman chakra control unless he could drastically improve his chakra reserves.

He spent the days getting stabbed with senbon by Genma, instructed by Shashou Baizou, the sensei of Team Gai. The seal on Kakashi's back flared violently whenever he had kindly thoughts about the man, so he quickly took to secretly hating him while openly proclaiming his like for the man.

When the date for his father to return finally came and went, Kakashi became increasingly nervous. His performance at training was so bad that Nenshou spent the night so he wouldn't have to be alone. For the first time in two weeks, he didn't have nightmares.

It was when he sitting on the couch, dejectedly staring at the floor beside Nenshou and Jiraiya, that his father staggered into the kitchen, blood-spattered and weary but in one piece. Kakashi jumped to his feet, completely overcome by emotion. His first reaction was to laugh, then to cry, then to sob uncontrollably until he laughed like a loon. The whole while, he hugged his father so hard that neither of them could breath properly.

"Don't you ever do that again, tou-chan," he whispered fiercely, crushing his father just a little bit harder in his embrace for emphasis.

"I won't shinme, I promise," pledged his father, uncomfortably twisting to pat his son on the head. "Now let go of me so I can go de-gross my self and be presentable for our company."

"Company?" Kakashi turned around in confusion, then realize that his father meant Nenshou and Jiraiya. "Oh, papa, they're just here for me... I was scared."

Sakumo smiled sadly and shook his head as he stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, it was just something I had to do."

"Did you lose anyone?" asked Kakashi, careful not to sound hopeful.

"Yes. Everyone else... But I made a promise to come home to you so I could help you with your dream, so I finished the mission."

Kakashi felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach. He watched, awestruck as his father marched through the living room and into the bathroom at the end of the hall. Nenshou and Jiraiya each gave him an affectionate, pitying pat on the shoulder before departing. Nenshou left a few scrolls of tea on the counter for him before he went and Jiraiya left a small note that Kakashi couldn't quite bring himself to read. His father reminded him so much of Haku that it hurt him. He'd killed his dreams to become the perfect tool for someone else. A soothing warm was spreading between his shoulder blades, signifying that he'd done the right thing, and even Naruto was in the back of his mind, trying to make him feel better. If he'd done the right thing, why did he feel so awful?

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

GAI GAVE KAKASHI a sad look before turning away, his shoulders sagging with some unknown burden.  
"What's wrong, Gai?" inquired Kakashi, in the midst of a push-up. Gai had been quiet all morning, even after Kakashi muscled through the fourth lap around the village, even though they're been training together for only two weeks and one of those weeks had been Kakashi had been still technically recovering from poisoning himself.

"My team... we were ambushed yesterday on what was supposed to be a routine mission," confessed Gai, his voice trembling with his want to not cry. Kakashi uncertainly patted Gai on the back, having no clue how to help young Gai. Whenever older Gai was upset, they'd spar things out. Gai had helped Kakashi out in the past two weeks when he was nervous about his father, but that was different. Kakashi was still at a loss.

"What happened?" he asked, remembering suddenly that when Gai was sad he liked to let it out. Gai bottling things up was never good.

"They were ambushed. I was off gathering supplies as instructed and... Ebisu didn't make it. I just don't understand how this could happen! He was the best of all of us! I came back and Genma was out cold, Ebisu was bleeding but alive and alert, and then... Sensei was gone but reappeared and then someone else struck me down. I just don't get it! We were _inside the village, _Kakashi! These kinds of things don't happen inside the village!"

Kakashi wrapped his arm around in a manly bro-hug, supporting the other boy while he cried relentlessly. "Ebisu shouldn't have died!"

Kakashi withered inside, trying to hold it together. He and Ebisu had become fast-friends in his old life, hence Ebisu taking him up on the offer to train Naruto during the month before the exams. Ebisu had definitely been a good friend and to lose him so early on... it hurt him gravely. He could only imagine how Gai felt.

"It's not your fault, Gai." That was what he said over and over again for the next half-hour, and what Gai continually repeated to himself over the next two days until Ebisu and his sensei's funeral.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"I STILL CAN'T believe he's gone," mumbled Inoichi, turning in the scroll for the mission he, Shikaku, Choza, and Kakashi had just completed. "That kid was so nice and I mean, sure, he was a little weird but—"

"Don't talk about him like that," snapped Kakashi. "I may not have a lot of friends, but the ones I have I am fiercely loyal to. I don't care if _we _are friends. You can't speak badly about my other friends or I'm obligated to defend them. "

"Calm down, Kakashi," soothed Choza, "He didn't mean anything by it..."

"Yeah, for real, kid. I didn't... I'm just still in shock."

Kakashi bowed his head, thinking. "Sorry. I'm still a bit shook up myself."

"It's a shame this is our last mission..." murmured Shikaku, scratching the back of his neck. "It's going to be a tough transition. I don't think we get a replacement, either. With Tsume having gotten married and settling down to have her family, and you leaving, this leaves just the Ino-Shika-Cho squad. Back to where we started..."

"Just don't get too wrapped up in yourselves. Just because this works for you don't assume it'll work for future generations," warned Kakashi. He thought that their children relied too heavily on their knowledge of one another's attacks and weren't strong enough individually-something he intended to not let happen again.

"Fair enough, squirt," said Inoichi, roughly tussling Kakashi's hair. "We'll see ya around sometime, got it?"

"Hai," affirmed Kakashi, nodding astutely. When they left, the heavy feeling of depression settled its weight back down onto his shoulders.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"THEY NEED A change of scenery, Jiraiya," advised Sakumo, rubbing his palms together as he watched them train. Jiraiya turned around, having not heard Sakumo creep up.

"Takes some skill to sneak up on a Sannin, ya know."

"I know. I need to get stronger for my son... He needs me."

"What is it with you too and protecting people? You're power obsessed but for the best reason possible... kinda freaky. A guy could write a story about something like that," mused Jiraiya, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He watched as Kakashi took a kick to the face, simply rolling backward with the force of the kick and grabbing up dual clods of dirt to attack Gai with. As they had when Sakumo was gone on mission, the two were now regularly beating the tar out of each other in an attempt to hash out their emotions.

"I know," admitted Sakumo. "But it's for the good of the village. Keep an eye on him, Jiraiya. He'll do great things someday."

Just like that he was gone. Jiraiya scowled to himself, thinking about stupid Hatakes and their stupid cool ways before he called a halt to the boys sparring. Perhaps a change of scenery wouldn't be a bad thing. Only question was... where to go to?

Jiraiya stared across the clearing at the river, listening to the sound of the water as it splashed over the rocks. It was quite soothing. A smile split his face in two as he realized just where they were headed.

"How do you guys feel about a training trip to Whirlpool?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Again it's shorter than usual. But I think content over quantity makes up for it. Let me know what you think! I'm sorry if it's a little choppy in areas but I wrote the majority of this today, lol. **

**I would like to say that I made up the name of Gai's sensei. It means Double Image. Yay. Oh well. UHm. Any other questions? REVIEW please. Spurs me to write more! **


	8. Fire and Whispers

**Chapter Eight: Fire and Whispers**

**'****_  
_**_'Do you wanna be the animal to take me apart? Break my patience, corrupt my sacred art? Do you promise to be with me if I beg and I crawl? In my darkest mood, through he private wars...' _Fires and Whispers by IAMX

KAKASHI SHIFTED UNCOMFORTABLY under his sensei's gaze, unsure of what to do. Nenshou regarded him calmly, his sword poised and on the ready to strike. Kakashi shifted his weight when Nenshou made a forward movement, letting his body bend into a backward roll. He righted himself, sword already jabbing outwards to attack his opponent. He scowled, having miscalculated the depth of his jab.

Nenshou knocked the sword from his grasp, laughing idly in approval when Kakashi pushed chakra into his feet and somersaulting, plucking the weapon from the ground. Before Kakashi could ready himself with the weapon, he felt the cool metal of a sword at his neck. He submitted to the attack, allowing his body to go slack and the sword to clatter uselessly to the ground.

"You're improving but you're not up to ANBU regulations where I want you to be. You're so obsessed with protecting others I thought you'd at least protect yourself a little bit better," teased Nenshou, already taking a seat to pour them some tea.

"I do what I have to," murmured Kakashi, accepting Nenshou's wordless invitation to join him for tea. "I've not yet made progress on my family jutsus but I'm tweaking them to suit my needs. Father is still searching for some more advanced jutsu. I didn't even know we had the libraries that he's looking in.

"He says we still have a lot to do. He wants to rebuild the clan but he doesn't have time to; not yet. We have too much to accomplish. I need to get stronger and so does he. "

"Your obsession with strength is admittedly a little worrying, Kakashi," informed Nenshou, looking Kakashi in the eye. "Why do you feel such a need to protect others? Do you have a guilty conscience?"

"No," answered Kakashi, partially lying. "I was raised this way. If you can't protect your teammates you don't deserve them."

Nenshou stared deep into his coffee cup, considering for a moment. "Have you lost a teammate?"

"You could say that." Kakashi finished the rest of his tea in one gulp, ignoring the searing burn caused by his haste. He was running late, however and he had to get a move on. "I gotta go, Jiraiya and the rest of our group is leaving later."

"Where ya headed?"

"Whirlpool, but I don't know why…"

Nenshou remained silent but offered a nod of encouragement. When he finally spoke, his voice was grave with worry. "Be careful, Kakashi. I only have daughters so I consider you as a son. Come back in one piece."

"I will, I promise."

"Good."

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"I DIDN'T THINK I'd see you here." Kakashi gave the trio before him a long, considering look with his head cocked to the side. "Thought the last mission was the last one we'd have together for a while."

"Apparently we're to escort you to the boundaries of Hi no Kuni first." Inoichi shrugged, readjusting his ponytail. He let his long blonde hair fall to his shoulders before gruffly yanking it back into a ponytail. "I'm not really happy _we _got the mission, to be honest. Don't wanna be stuck around _you_ for longer than I have to," he joked.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, pretending that he wasn't smiling beneath his mask. Next to him Gai continued to shift is weight back and forth from one foot to the other.

"Why are we going to Whirlpool if it was destroyed in the Second Shinobi War?" he asked, his dark eyes narrowing in consternation. "It doesn't make sense."

"You're right." The voice came from behind them; before they even turned around Kakashi knew it was Jiraiya. The man had a way of making dramatic dialog entrances by doing things like that. Kakashi found it both cool and irksome. "Or rather, you _would _be right if Whirlpool had actually been destroyed."

Kakashi felt his mouth fall open and couldn't find it within him to shut it again. Even Inoichi and Shikaku looked a bit stumped as to how this could be.

"Whirlpool was greatly weakened by attacks, yes, but we're trying to help them rebuild. Some assimilated into Konoha until the time that Whirlpool is strong enough to stand on their own again, but some stayed behind to help fix it. It hasn't been the Hokage's first priority to fix things there, even though it should've been."

Gai and Kakashi were quiet for a moment until Gai spoke up. "So we're the reinforcement going to help them rebuild?"

"Exactly. It's normally a Genin job, but with the current state of things they're sending in a mostly Chunin team. We have an escort to get us to the border just in case anyone should catch wind of our activities and attempt an attack."

Kakashi considered this for a moment, almost instantly finding fault with the plan. "Why don't they just accompany us the whole entire way?"

"Because once we get to Whirlpool they'll be strong enough to help fend off any attacks. There's still a good hundred people left. Besides you're with a legendary super-pervert Sannin. _Nobody's _army can defeat me. I'm a –"

" We know, Jiraiya-sensei, we know!" assured Genma, a scowl on his lips. He liked the guy, but he didn't have the patience for him that some managed .

After the initial briefing, they set off on their merry-well way. Gai bounced around, completely in love with both nature and motion. Kakashi and the others preferred to run through the trees like normal shinobi, though Kakashi secretly envied the kid for not giving a damn what the others thought. He was continually worrying about what was the appropriate thing to do and what he couldn't do and such freedom was to be respected. Hell, it was something to be protected, even.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HOKAGE-SAMA, I'M HERE to request a mission to Whirlpool." Sakumo straightened up just a bit more, so that his spine's natural curve was nearly inverted. "Any mission, even a dangerous one."

"May I inquire as to why you feel the sudden urge to travel there?" asked Sarutobi, knowing full-well why one of his best shinobi was requesting such a pointless mission. He had to hear it for himself. He had that way about him.

Sakumo bowed his head, only for a second, but Sarutobi caught the movement and recorded it in his mental file. Humility was always a good sign, especially when one truly felt what they portrayed. "I need to keep an eye on my son. I have a bad feeling about his mission, just like he had a bad feeling about the one Danzo sent me on. I need to make sure my son is alright. I don't care if I am paid or not but I need your clearance to go to Uzumaki no Kuni."

Sarutobi rested his elbows on his desk as he pondered. Briefly he pressed a finger to his chin before bringing his hands together in front of him, pressing the pads of his fingertips against another as he considered his options. However, the answer was pretty cut and dry and didn't require much consideration, luckily enough for Sakumo.

"I"ll allow you to go, but on one condition. You are the protection detail. Treat this as an ANBU mission and only let yourself be noticed in a great time of danger. You are to spectate unless a situation arises. This mission is hardly necessary; adding an obvious protection detail would raise suspicion. Do _not _be seen, understood?"

Sakumo nodded gravely before saluting and trotting out of the Hokage's office. He swiftly returned home, leaping across the rooftops with renewed fervor. He'd wasted too many days already; the two days that his son had been gone already were two days too many and he'd have to pack quickly if he expected to catch them before the terrible feeling in his gut became overwhelming.

He methodically placed items into his travel bag, his body on autopilot while his mind ran through various scenarios of what could be going wrong at this very moment. The more he tried to push the thoughts from his mind, the more fiercely they returned. Something was going to go wrong, he was sure of it.

When he finally set out, the sun was already setting. This was a good thing for him; he knew that his son and the rest of the team would be hunkering down for the night which bought him time to catch up.

Sakumo smiled as he realized just how much he appreciated his son's genius. He reached into his hip pouch, withdrawing a few chakra-infused pebbles that he flung forward with all of the strength and precision of Konoha's White Fang. Kawarimi-ing his way to the border of Fire Country would be a snap with the speeds he'd be going.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"SO YOU SEE, they've been rebuilding ever since," explained Jiraiya, tearing into the leg of rabbit. "Damn, Inoichi you're a pretty good cook." He licked his lips, smacking them in an offensively loud manner before wiping his hands off on his pants leg. "Any more questions?" he asked through another bite of meat.

Kakashi shook his head no, trying to avoid the large trees and branches that littered the ground. A large battle had obviously gone on here and _recently. _It made sense to Kakashi, because Naruto informed him that the second Shinobi war happened twenty years before he was thirteen, meaning Kakashi would have been around seven when it occurred.

'_I should have done something sooner! I could have saved some of your family, Naruto.'_

'_Don't worry about it…. I never knew them anyway. I wasn't worried about saving them because I didn't think it could be done. Heh. Sounds kinda callous when I say it that way, doesn't it?'_

Kakashi sighed as he looked around in the dim light, leaping over a deep pit just in time to avoid being caught in it. '_No you just sound realistic.'_

They were close enough to Village Hidden in Whirlpools to smell the salt in the air. Kakashi was secretly excited, though whether it was his own excitement or Naruto's he couldn't truly tell. He tried not to care that they were nearing a dilapidated structure, but he couldn't bring himself to quash the sadness he felt when he saw that there were indeed people living there. A mother was still walking in circles, trying in vain to quiet the screaming of a small child.

Had they died in Kakashi's timeline? Were they still in hiding then? He knew that he would never know but he couldn't help the burning sensation of guilt deep in his stomach. He needed to protect these people. He would make sure that they were safe.

He skipped on forward to where Jiraiya was animatedly describing a recent sexual escapade to a rapt Inoichi, planning to share his plans of heroism with the perverted toad sage. His plans were thwarted time and time again by Inoichi's words of encouragement as he grilled the older man for details. Kakashi was forced to resort to yelling at them both, startling some birds out of their slumber in the process.

"We have to protect these people and help them, Jiraiya! They shouldn't have to live like this."

"We're still in Hi no Kuni, kid. They can leave if they want. We've offered them shelter but they won't leave. We have continually fixed their residences but until Uzushiogakure no satogets back on its feet and can protect the border as well, they won't have a safe residence here."

"I guess we'll just have to protect everyone then," muttered Kakashi, earning a bizarre look from Jiraiya. He shrugged it off with a yawn, inwardly remarking how little sleep he'd gotten in the past two nights.

It was bizarre; he'd thought that he slept better on missions. Lately, it had seemed that when he went on missions outside of the Fire Country, he'd sleep much better. This mission was not the case, however. He'd been having terrible dreams. Kakashi had forgotten how intense they were and how much he hated them. After the first night he'd taken a soldier pill to get through the night so he wouldn't have to endure it. Tonight, however, he'd need to sleep so his body could recharge.

When they finally reached the border, Kakashi and Inoichi bro-fived and he gave Choza a hug. Shikaku practically demanded a game of Shogi from him, to which Kakashi obligingly promised they'd have. After the trio turned around and started towards home, Jiraiya declared that it would be a good time to stop and start resting up for the following day.

If there had been missions to help Uzushiogakure no sato rebuild, then something along the way must have happened to prevent that. This meant that Kakashi would need to be alert and ready to fight at all times.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

SAKUMO'S CHEST HEAVED with the force of his exertion and he slowed his pace, leaning against a tree for support as he caught his breath. About twenty miles ago he'd given up on the Kawarimi jutsu, having been unable to reassure himself that everything would be fine when he got there. He needed to save his chakra because he couldn't—hell, he refused to—be a burden when he arrived.

He repressed the tight feeling of terror that swam through his intestines, trying to release himself from the grip of the shuddering fear that tried to fell him. Picking up with his efforts once again, Sakumo began to leap from branch to branch with a renewed vigor. He'd reach his son and he _would _protect him.

As he bodily careened himself through the branches he pondered the current actions of his son. Were they sitting around the campfire, eating food and preparing for the next day? Or were they already hunkered down for the night, oblivious to the dangerous feelings that Sakumo was experiencing.

Sakumo smiled to himself, surmising that Kakashi was probably enjoying the company of his literal idol. Kakashi had explained to his father how the books written by Jiraiya had kept him sane. Each and every ninja had a quirk that kept them sane; Kakashi had explained that his was reading smut, Gai's was training, and Asuma's was smoking.

With a grunt, Sakumo put on an extra burst of speed, determined to make sure that his son would reach the age where his reading of smut in public would be at least age-appropriate. As things were now, the poor kid had to read them at home. What kind of life was that for a shinobi giving up his entire life and probably sanity to save a village that didn't care for him the way he did for it?

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"WAKE THE _FUCK _up, you miserable old man!" screamed Kakashi, narrowly dodging the sword of three Iwa ninja. One of them began to do a ninjutsu, and Kakashi listened to a bit of advice that Naruto had the smarts to lend him. "Your first book sucks! Everyone knows it's just a play off your relationship with Tsunade! The ending is too obvious and self-fulfilling!"

That woke him up. Jiraiya sat up like a bolt, the only thing to wake the prideful man was a jab at his ever-inflated ego. "Oi! That book is a classic! And it is _not _a play off of that! How dare you!"

Jiraiya made to smack the boy only to realize that their tent was now occupied by more than five people. "Dammit, kid, why didn't you wake me up?"

"Wake you up? Wake you _up!? _For the past ten minutes, while trying not to _die, _mind you, I've been trying to get your ass up, but _no. _The great, mighty Jiraiya can just sleep in while the world endures havoc!" snapped Kakashi, ramming his sword through the arm of a random Iwa ninja that was trying to spear Kakashi through the back.

"It's true, sensei-sama! We've trying very hard!" Gai insisted, slamming someone's face off of the ground. The ninja moaned and went still. "Please, we require your help!"

Kakashi shouted something intelligible and leaped at Gai who ducked in fear. "Gotcha!" he shouted, slashing out at the man, only intending to split his throat. He miscalculated the jab and beheaded the man. The dismembered, essential 'limb' plopped to the ground and stared up at him plaintively but he paid it no heed, kicking it aside in disgust.

"We're gonna die if we don't get out of here," he explained, watching Jiraiya as the man quickly prepared himself for war. "It's an ambush. There's thirty more out there and God only knows how many more in the surrounding area. They're coming from underneath of us…"

Jiraiya nodded, and pressed his hands together, his fingers blurring through seals so quickly that neither of the two boys had any idea what the seals were. "Where is Genma?" asked Jiraiya, finishing the seals. A jutsu began to take hold of the area even without him using the verbal chakra command to direct his chakra.

"He's scouting out in the trees, shooting down as many of them as he can with his senbon. He's running scared, though we need to get a move on before we get him killed!" Kakashi yelled, ducking out of the tent as he remembered his nindo details. He'd never forgive himself if he let Genma die under his watch. Gai would be crushed and so would he.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HEY, SAKUMO, WHAT'RE you doing here?" called out Choza, a goofy grin of friendship splayed across his young face. "We just got the border a few hours ago. We're heading back now."

"How fast have you been going?" demanded Sakumo, desperate to catch up with his son now that he was so close.

Inoichi stepped forward, for all of them had stopped when they'd seen him, and was the one to tell him that they were four hours out and had been traveling at mid-Chunin speed. Shikaku was a little weary of Sakumo's behavior but didn't say anything otherwise.

Sakumo took off again at full speed after giving them a hasty goodbye, knowing that mid-Chunin speed was a slow Jonin pace and if he hurried he could make it there in an hour. As he ran, he collected his bearings again and began to set a game-plan in the event that things had gone awry. Hatake Sakumo was nothing if not loyal and definitely nothing if not cautious. He was a sucker for saving a teammate, especially one so close to him. You couldn't get much closer than father and son.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI STRUGGLED TO avoid the many walls of rocks and earth that began to rush at him, threatening to crush him with their weight. He flipped and catapulted himself away from them, between them, but never near the base of them. It would be too easy for the caster of the jutsu to topple them over on him.

Sometimes he'd jump onto the top of them, in a crouched position so that he could grab a fistful of dirt and circulate his chakra through it, and then he'd fling them the enemy ninja all around them so that his teammates could catch a break. They were all doing their best but it was tiring work fighting an army with a four man squad.

It was obvious to both Kakashi and Jiraiya that they had been followed by scouts for the army and then once their escorts had left they had moved in for the kill. Without this team in the way, no one would be able to report back to Konoha for reinforcements before they took out Village Hidden in Whirlpools.

Kakashi gleefully whipped out his ninjato, and sliced through the wrists of an offending ninja with a wide, arching move that was executed flawlessly. He bashed the butt of his handle into the temple of the ninja, leaving him useless and unconscious. Without the walls of earth chasing him about, he could much more quickly.

Gai and Genma were surrounded by ninja. Kakashi groaned and quickly rushed through the seals of the Kasumi Kaben, praying to every god he could think of in hopes that he'd be able to execute it properly. When that failed, he grunted in frustration and glanced over to Jiraiya in the hopes that his teacher might be able to help them out. However, his teacher was also surrounded by ninja—at least thirty—and he didn't stand a possible chance at protecting them.

Kakashi growled in frustration, slamming his fingers through the seals of Fuketsu Hira. He began to viciously swirl chakra into his palms, collecting dirt in his hands and throwing it at the enemies. With a series of quick Kawarimis he replaced himself with the clods, slamming into ninjas and slicing their throats with either the kunai in his left hand or the ninjato in his right.  
Gai and Genma cheered but the victory was short lived because more and more of the ninja were pouring out of the ground, literally. How many of them _were _there?

'_Enough to topple a village,_' thought Kakashi. He was scared. How was he going to protect Konoha if he died here

Calling on the last of his chakra, Kakashi began to Kawarimi more and more, taking out as many of the ninja as he could. Ten, now twenty were dead by his hands. Another two here, three and four more there. He didn't want to do this but it was him or them. Gai and Genma killed a few as well, but not like him. He was a death machine. He was playing reaper.

He continued his sick farce until he was struck down by an immense wall of earth. It crushed him into the ground, nearly breaking his limbs in the process. Kakashi cried out, hoping for all the world that this wouldn't be the end of him. He had so much work to do that thin simply _couldn't _end here. He prayed to God for forgiveness as the darkness overtook him.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

IT WAS IRONIC that he should arrive just in time see his son crushed to death; that was Sakumo's thought as he arrived at the scene, taking in the massive amounts of body littering the scene and then the apparent demise of his son.

Rage and despair crackled throughout his body in an electric current. It started in his gut, and continued down to his fingertips until visible electricity began to crackle through the sword in his hand. Neatly he bit into his finger and performed the seals for the Kuchiyose jutsu. He slammed his hands into the ground, snarling out his orders to the ninken when the appeared after what felt like an eternity of waiting but was truly only a single second.

Numerous dogs, more numerous than he'd ever summoned before, appeared in an instant and he barked out orders to them faster than he even knew he could think of them. Viciously the dogs began to attack and with them he went. Slicing and clawing he tore them down. He could have used ninjutsu, yes, but it felt better to crush them with his bare hands.

He was supposed to die, not his son. A man should never lose his son. That went against the laws of nature.

Sakumo let out a roar of bestial rage as he cleaved through the neck of two enemy ninja at once, their blood splattering grotesquely across his visage. Jiraiya had taken the opportunity he'd created to Rasengan through three and four and then seven ninja. He began to spin around with his Rasengan, crazily cutting through his opponents.

After what felt like centuries the battlefield was quiet. Gai and Genma were crouched over Kakashi, tears leaking from their eyes. Sakumo roughly pushed them aside, picking up his boy with trembling hands.

"Kakashi…. It wasn't supposed to end like this… No, no, no, no! Not like this; this should be me…" Sakumo sobbed, pulling his son's hitai-ate way from his forehead so he could kiss him just here, as he done when his son was a baby. He smoothed the hair away from his son's face as he rocked back and forth, unable to bear the thought of losing his son.

"Sir, he's not dead!" protested Gai, placing his hand on Sakumo's shoulder. "He's just unconscious."

Sakumo stared at the child as though he was stupid. "Unconscious?"

One of his many dogs trotted forward from the circle they'd formed around the quartet. Jiraiya was killing off any stragglers that were still alive. "It's true, master," barked Jiro, his voice low and throaty. "I can hear his pulse from here."

Sakumo smiled to himself and smoothed Kakashi's hair down once more. "You're not gone..." He hadn't failed. Kakashi was still alive and he hadn't failed. Sakumo smiled to himself and refused to let anyone else care for the boy's injuries.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

WHEN HE FINALLY regained consciousness, his entire body ached and even blinking hurt. Kakashi attempted to roll over or even sit up, but a gentle hand on his shoulder sent pain coursing throughout him and preventing his ascent.

"Sit, you're injured quite badly," soothed a familiar voice. Kakashi peaked through his eyelashes, surprised to see his father sitting over him, holding gauze in his hand as he changed Kakashi's dressings for the various cuts and abrasions over his body.

"Tou-san?"

"Eh?" Sakumo looked up at Kakashi, smiling brightly when he realized Kakashi was talking to him. "You gave me quite the start there."

"Did I fail the mission?"

"No. You're fine. Everyone else is safe as well. You're lucky I showed up when I did. I nearly lost my mind because I thought you'd died on me, too," he confessed, his cheeks reddening slightly out of shame and partly out of anger. It still made him mad to think that his son had nearly died.

"I can't die yet. Too many things to do," Kakashi grunted. He forced himself into a sitting position and gazed around. Off in the distance Gai and Genma were pulling dead bodies along the ground so that they could be stacked. Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza were standing over them and helping them move the bodies. Jiraiya was nowhere to be found. "Why are Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza here? I thought they left?"

Sakumo paused his ministrations, setting the gauze down for a moment. He smirked slightly. "I guess I looked so panicked when I asked them how far away you were that they supposed something was up and followed after me. They arrived in time to see me kick ass. I think I need to start training more as well... "

Kakashi smiled. "How did you do?"

"You shoulda seen 'im, kid!" Inoichi yelled, running over to join the conversation now that Kakashi was awake. "He was incredible."

Kakashi was rapt with attention as Inoichi told the story, with minor interruptions from Shikaku or Choza when he undersold the coolness of what happened or even Sakumo when he was getting to gregarious with his exaggerations. Even Genma and Gai joined in and it was actually... nice.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"THIS IS THE great village of Whirpool," explained Sakumo as he lead the group through the village. Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza had left shortly after Jiraiya returned from his impromptu trip back to the village. They'd travelled ahead to get some time out of the way on their way to whirlpool.

Sakumo was dressed as a regular citizen so as to hide the fact that he was a shinobi. He had to make an effort to much about and make a lot of noise like a civilian, but so far they hadn't been attacked again.

Jiraiya was due to return in a few hours and then Sakumo would either stay with the group as backup or he'd return to Konoha based on the Hokage's orders. He was praying he'd be allowed to stay.

Kakashi looked around wearily, his sympathy for the villagers growing by every passing second they spent in the desecrated place. Homes were in shambles, some of them complete piles of rubble that no longer resembled a building at all.

Other, newer, homes were constructed but they were rickety and didn't look very good even in comparison to the ravaged remains of what was left of the old buildings. Kakashi bit back a moan of despair when he caught sight of a mother trying to soothe her wailing infant.

"We're here to help them rebuild and to protect them should any threat arise," called out Jiraiya, arriving ahead of time and needing to make a dramatic entrance. Kakashi rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips.

"Nice of you to join us," commented Sakumo, a warm undertone in his voice. He appreciated the man nearly as much as Kakashi did. Jiraiya nodded and took point, knowing where they needed to go.

They ended up in a small Inn, surprisingly one of the few things that was still in at least a decent state of repair. As they hunkered down for the night, Kakashi couldn't help but feel excited. Here, he would make a difference and he would see the immediate results. Here, he'd have a chance to be the absolute best he could be.

* * *

**Author's Note: YAY Corny, crappy ending! Sorry but this one had to end so I could get it out to you. :p I hope you enjoyed it and it sticks close enough to canon even though I'm beginning to deviate now.**

**Things are going to begin deviating from Canon A LOT so bare with me and hang on tight.**

**Love you all! Every review inspires me to write more so be sure to leave me something! [:**

**Lauren/Mellokai**


	9. Spirals of Flame

**Chapter Nine: Spirals of Flame**

_'I'll never let this go, but I can't find the words to tel you I don't want to be alone, but now I feel like I don't know you.' _Never Let This Go by Paramore

* * *

"I CAN'T BELIEVE we actually did it," confessed Kakashi, wiping a weary hand down his face. He glanced over to Jiraiya and his teammates who were standing perhaps twenty yards from him and his father. Sakumo nodded and brought Kakashi's attention back upon himself.

"Neither can I. But, Kakashi, in the event that something should happen to you…. I need you to tell me what your plans are. Or you need to create a failsafe so that I can continue on with your work if you decide to throw your life away like you tried to." Sakumo's voice was grave, wobbling when he came to the part of Kakashi 'throwing his life away.' Kakashi recognized the seriousness of his father's advice and hugged him fiercely.

He laughed into his father's chest, saying softly, "You idiot, I can't die. I have too many things to do."

"I wish it were that simple," admitted Sakumo, pulling back so he could ruffle Kakashi's hair. "Listen to the customs here…. They might prove to be very important."

Kakashi stared at his father, struck by the odd mysteriousness of his father's voice. "Does this have to do with—"

"Ah, ah, ah! Not telling. You'll see soon enough," chided Sakumo, again relying on mysteriousness as a resource to make Kakashi pay extra special attention to the next few weeks. "All right, I believe Jiraiya wants a word with me and then I've got to get going. Give me a hug, ya little trouble maker."

Kakashi happily obliged his old man and then watched as Jiraiya and his father leapt off through the trees to a more private place for conversation.

"He wonders why we keep getting attacked! The strongest people of our group keep running off and leaving us defenseless," grumbled Genma, his senbon waggling dangerously his scowling lips. Kakashi playfully plucked it free, and twirled it between his fingers.

"We're not defenseless. We're capable of taking care of ourselves. If anything terrible comes our way I'll protect you. That's what a ninja does. He protects his teammates and works with them to accomplish their common goal."

Gai smiled brightly. "Surviving can't be our common goal," he laughed.

"Nope. We protect Konoha."

Kakashi's words, though said lightly, hit an odd key with the other two who fell silent as they considered his meaning. It seemed the most laid-back ninja of Konoha was now the most driven. Though, truthfully, he hadn't been laid back Kakashi in a few years. That persona had died when he had. This Kakashi, in his own timeline, would have been the straight-laced, driven boy who longed to succeed and live by the rules as his father had not. This Kakashi, the one he was right now… this Kakashi knew better than that.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"SO I HEAR that your son is having some troubles," Jiraiya remarked offhandedly. Sakumo, on instinct, recoiled slightly. No matter how that comment was inflicted he couldn't help but feel that it was a jab at his parenting. No father wants to be told those kinds of things as though he didn't notice them already.

"What are you getting at, Jiraiya-sama?" Sakumo was careful to be respectful of the man, even though he was terribly offended at the moment. He was well aware that his honorific came out harsh and sarcastic but he couldn't help himself.

"Nothing, just that your son is having some trouble. You seem a little tense about it. Anything I should know?"

"No." Sakumo mentally reminded himself to play this out carefully. Perhaps if he acted offended enough that would call his character into question and Jiraiya could eventually be let into the loop. As stupid as the man might seem at times, Sakumo knew that was only a front and that the man was quite the genius.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "Are you aware that in order for your boy to sleep on field missions Nenshou had to cast a genjutsu on the boy? Every night?"

"No…" admitted Sakumo, his cheeks reddening in both anger and embarrassment. "He has a lot of… stress. He's quite driven and the loss of his mother still hits him pretty hard."

"You don't scream like that at night from losing your mother." Jiraiya's voice was hardened with anger. "I've heard it. If you don't do something I will."

"Understood." Sakumo said before disappearing, leaving behind a small pile of pebbles. Jiraiya nodded in acceptance and resolution before turning on heel and dropping to the ground beneath the trees so that he could walk back to his team. Sakumo stared at him from behind a tree for a few moments before smiling and taking off for Konoha. He'd performed wonderfully, if he said so himself.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

ONCE UPON A time, magnificent towers had been the focal point of Whirlpool's architecture. That period had long since passed and the buildings were now sprawling, multi-story buildings. The ones that were intact, that is.

The remaining buildings were creamy in color, some with low ceilings and others with high ceilings. The one thing that Kakashi noticed about the buildings as he walked through the streets with his teammates and sensei was that they all had curving lines on them that fashioned into a whirlpool. The roofs were spired, the tiling on each point swirling around in a syphon-like fashion that vastly resembled a whirlpool. It reminded Kakashi of the rug on his living room floor for some reason.

"Jiraiya-sensei, why does everyone look so… hungry?" asked Genma, his voice tainted with apprehension.

"As much as I want to say that they're hungry for my body, I can't. They're starving here. Things aren't going well for them. It's why we're here. Many people from Konoha who had relations with Whirlpool were called out to help but… only a few remain."

Kakashi's ears perked up at the sound of that. '_Maybe you've got some family out here, Naruto,' _he thought, his cheers rising in a slight smile. Jiraiya gave him an odd look for smiling at such a grave sentence but Kakashi didn't bother to acknowledge him. He could feel Naruto's joy even though the boy didn't respond. They'd both learned that having conversations while around other people often bread strange facial expressions that made it look like Kakashi was arguing with himself.

"Okay, guys, we need to meet with our client. While I do that, I want you to go to our quarters and put your things away. We'll be here a while. So make sure you organize it. You have two hours to wander about and get acquainted with what remains of the village and then I want you to meet me back _here _at three so we can start training again, alright?" commanded Jiraiya. He smiled, the red lines that didn't meet his jawline fanning out with cheeks. "Much of the village has been moved underground so you'll need to get a map from one of the people where we're staying and then you need to memorize it. It's not allowed outside of the building."

Kakashi and the others nodded, all of them trotting off to carry out their orders. He was rather excited about the prospect of an underground town. If it looked easy enough he could probably move the ANBU barracks nearer to his house—no, wait. That sounded a bit too reminiscent of Root and Danzo.

A burning heat filled his stomach as he thought about Danzo. Something needed to be done about that man. Gai and Genma exchanged looks, frightened by the small amount of killing intent that Kakashi had been leaking but he chuckled sheepishly and reined it in. "Sorry, I was just thinking about how we were ambushed and I almost lost you guys. It'd be awfully sad to have to walk around by myself."

While it wasn't true that he was thinking about that, as he said it he realized he meant it. It would be terribly sad to have to do this without them. In his own timeline Gai had been like a brother to him and he missed being able to beat the shit out of each other when one felt down in the dumps. They could still spar now, but they couldn't demolish training grounds as they had done before.

Gai smiled at him and Genma clapped a hand onto his shoulder, shaking it lightly before retracing his hand and sighing. "Man, I miss Ebisu like hell but you're a quirky guy to be around, ya know that?"

"Huh? How so?"

"You totally went ham and killed all those bad guys, man! But—" he broke off into a fit of giggles. "Look at this!" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small scroll from his pocket.

"What's that?" inquired Kakashi, itching his nose.

"Oh, just a little something that Iwa added to their bingo books," Genma jeered in a sing-song voice. "You're already in it."

"I am?" Kakashi snatched the scroll from Genma, opening it so that he could read it. "Hatake Kakashi, son of the White Fang of Konoha. Deemed the… White Skipper? What the fuck! That's not even a cool name! Couldn't I have been the Flicker of Doom or something cool?"

"I 'unno, I don't even know how you do that thing you do!" admitted Genma, laughing so hard that his senbon fell out of his mouth. Even Gai was laughing at him. "But the White Skipper! I just can't get over it!"

Kakashi was forced to endure the taunts for the entirety of the trek around the village. Somehow, he didn't actually mind. It was rather nice to be friends with people who could tease him and he didn't mind. It was nice to have true companionship again after the two and a half years of loneliness.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"SO HOW WAS meeting the client?" Genma asked conversationally. He bent over, stretching his fingers down to his toes and then pressed his palms flat against the ground, his fingers fanning out around his hand.

Jiraiya stood up from his stretch, bent backwards, and placed his hands flat on the ground in a perfect backbend. "Ah, it was fine. Sazanami Yawaraka. Apparently she is the sister to the wife of the clan-head of one of the most powerful clans in the village. We're going to be staying with her and her family for the duration of the trip. She seemed interested in meeting you, though she took a particular interest in you, Kakashi. Apparently she knows your father."

Kakashi paused in his stretching, a strange tingle running down his back as he digested that information. What could that possibly mean? He shrugged the thought from his mind because it would do him little good to be distracted by such a thing as that.

"You are all familiar with the water walking technique, correct?" inquired Jiraiya, putting his fingers together so that he could crack them. Everyone but Gai nodded. "Very well. I want you two to learn to manipulate the water. Gai, come with me, I'm going to teach you how to walk on water."

"Wait you're not even going to tell us how to do it!?" shrieked Genma, his senbon tumbling out of his mouth. Kakashi reached out and caught it before it could hit the ground and handed it back to the stunned boy.

He chuckled, pleased that he remembered the basic principles of how to manipulate water. "It's okay. I've never done it before but my father's explained the theory to me." It was subtle lie but it would suffice. Jiraiya probably expected that this would take them a long time to learn.

"How do we do it?" asked Genma, the senbon once again waggling at his lips.

Kakashi took a breath as he remembered how he had learned it. "Well, the quickest way to learn is to directly manipulate the water. However if water isn't your affinity, it's easier to learn how to change your motions in response to the water not change the water's motion in response to you."

Genma was quiet for a moment. "How do you do that?"

"Come here," beckoned Kakashi, trotting over to the edge of the water. "See how it laps at the shore like that?"

"Yeah…"

"We have to move like that with the water. But in order to learn how to do that we have to use still water. Come on, let's go back to the Sazanami complex and use their hot spring to direct the current."

It took them a short twenty minute jog to return to the compound but by the time they were there Genma was more than brimming with anticipation. Kakashi carefully stepped onto the water, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to center himself.

"Relax. Feel the direction of the current. Right now there is no current. Only water bubbling upward. You have to maintain the correct chakra level to stay above the water without being blown off while you project enough chakra into the water to direct your motion. You can spiral the chakra or waver it back and forth—whatever will cause you to move across the surface of the water.

Kakashi knew this wasn't the ideal way to learn, but the bubbling of the water would cause Genma to have even better control over the water by the time they finished the exercise. "Alright, here goes nothing."

He began to painstakingly project chakra into the water, careful to keep the protruding chakra separate from the chakra bolstering the surface of the water. The different between tree-walking and water-walking was that one had to reinforce the surface of the water with the precise amount of chakra. Any currents or ripples in the water made this harder where the ripples and grooves on tree bark made it easier. In tree-walking, one needed to fill the gaps between the user's foot or shoe, creating an adhesive grip. In water walking, your chakra was just on top of the water's surface, reinforcing the natural tension barrier created by water.

As he began to project his chakra, he began to twist it. If he pushed it down and angled it, it would push him another direction. Kakashi couldn't show off just yet, but in the future he'd learned how to send chakra down into the water, spin it around, and then call it back up to force the water into stilit-like projections that could either launch him into the air or help him dodge attacks. Sakura had taught him how to do that, oddly enough.

Genma clapped when Kakashi began to seemingly slide across the surface. "That's what I'm talking about! Now let me try..."

Kakashi stepped out of the water, standing on the edge of the hot-spring as Genma gleefully bounced across the surface until he stood in the middle. He clasped his hands in front of him, not in a seal, but in a hand-gesture of concentration. The senbon in his mouth twisted furiously as he concentrated. Kakashi was surprised when almost immediately the boy began to slide across the water.

'_What the hell, if he had all this ability all along why the hell did he stay a Chunin?' _thought Kakashi, wondering if Naruto had any information as to why Genma had never made Jonin.

'_He never wanted promotion. He always denied it, opting to stay a Chunin because there are less responsibilities. Maybe you can get him up to par so he's so kick-ass that Sarutobi promotes him without asking whether or not he wants it,' _suggested Naruto, his thoughts sounding rather amused. _'I tried for ages.'_

Giving the senbon-brandishing boy an appraising look, Kakashi began to smirk to himself as he realized just how much potential his team had. He'd push all of them to do their best and they would be unstoppable.

'_Kakashi... What if I'm not the Child of Prophecy?'_

'_You are, Naruto.'_

_'If you say so, sensei.'_

Kakashi repressed Naruto's presence and stared at Genma, conflicting emotions swirling through him. The one that remained when the swirling stopped was apprehension, cold and heavy in the pit of his stomach. It was the kind of apprehension that usually arose when one was faced with an enormous task that they knew they must do but weren't sure how to complete.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"THANK YOU FOR allowing me to meet with the team, Jiraiya-sama," Yawaraka began to explain, smiling briefly at Jiraiya before fixing her eyes on Kakashi. "I've been most interested in meeting them."

Kakashi blinked, struck by a strange sense of familiarity with the way her voice sounded. He shrugged it off and looked her in the eye, curious as to why she was staring at him in such a fashion. She moved to sit across from him at the small table, bowing before she sat down.

"I understand that you were ambushed on the way here. You are the son of the White Fang of Konoha, are you not?" she inquired, her voice breathy with strange anticipation. Kakashi nodded, a tad uncertainly, and she continued. "It is to my understanding that you, on your own, took down around thirty of the soldiers. Is this true as well?" He nodded. "I see. Thank you."

When she began to walk away, Kakashi struggled with the urge to ask if they'd met before. Figuring it couldn't hurt to ask her, he called out to her. "Have we met before?"

"Yes," she said softly, not bothering to turn around. Kakashi's heart-rate spiked at the affirmation and he struggled to recall where he knew her from. She continued to walk away from them, leaving Gai and Genma to be disgruntled in her wake.

Genma twirled his senbon in his fingers, growling slightly in agitation. "Dammit, why didn't she want to see us? I mean she's even super pretty you'd think she'd be nice enough to stay and talk!"

Gai nodded, taking a sip of what he thought was tea. "I understand, she _is _quite beautiful. I wonder if I will ever find someone so beautiful... perhaps not, the girls seem to think I'm quite odd."

Kakashi absently commented to Gai," Maybe it's the haircut?" as he pondered where he knew her from. Finding the results inconclusive he poured himself a drink as well. He didn't drink it though, he simply sat at the table, admiring the craftsmanship. This, oddly enough, was strangely familiar as well.

He began to look around the room, trying to find other details that were important as well. Near the door was a memory wall similar to the one in his home. He smirked to himself, wondering what child it was for as he stood up to walk over to it. He could hear Gai taking loud slurps of his drink as he made his way over to it.

Kakashi frowned in consternation when he realized that where mementos should have been there were pictures. A picture of someone's first shoes, a picture of their first kunai and shuriken... a picture for everything...

Behind him there was a commotion and Kakashi spun around to find Gai, cheeks red and sweaty as he blearily looked around. "Whadya lookin' at? D'yu think I'm ugly or summat?"

"Huh?" Kakashi did a double take as he realized that he was experiencing the "Drunken Fist" first hand. How on Earth... perhaps there really _was _a connection between Lee and Gai after all! Kakashi immediately stepped in, attempting to hit the pressure point on Gai's shoulder that would put him to sleep.

Gai languidly rolled away from him, avoiding the pinch. Jiraiya roared with laughter, slapping his knees. "Looks like we got a natural, eh?"

"Jiraiya! If we don't stop him he'll destroy the place. You know Gai!" pointed out Genma, struggling to help Kakashi. He could only get within a foot of the boy before a strange kick or awkward fist would connect with his face.

Grudgingly, Jiraiya rose to his feet. Moving with enough speed that his visage blurred, he moved to Gai and clamped a hand down over his student's shoulder, effectively dropping him. He caught the boy before he could fall to the floor and then proceeded to carry him off to bed. Kakashi absently wondered if the boy would have a hangover the next day.

He sat down at the table, swirling and sniffing his sake before he'd even consider taking a sip. It didn't smell like normal sake so he set it back down and let his mind return to the strangeness of the memory wall. He pushed away from the table, taking swift, sure steps towards the wall so that he could investigate it again.

It was strange. It was arrange in the same order as his father had arranged it. Was there an unspoken rule about the order of memory walls? He shrugged, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling that was clenching up around his shoulders and turned away just as Jiraiya entered.

"Come on, kid, drink some of your sake! It's not often the customs let minors like yourself drink! Though, perhaps you should have some tea eight _is _pretty young," Jiraiya trailed off, trying to reason with himself. Kakashi rolled his eyes and left the room as Jiraiya sat there, still debating. Sometimes he wasn't sure if the stupidity was only an act or not.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"KAKASHI! PROTECT THE villagers, I need you to focus!" yelled Jiraiya, his face red with exertion. Kakashi shook his head, trying to clear the images of the nightmares he'd been having only moments ago. He rolled out of bed, trying to wakeup but finding his legs and arms heavy.

"What's wrong with me?" he yelled to Jiraiya, trying to get his sluggish body to move more quickly.

"I drugged you so you'd sleep," explained Jiraiya, trying to look sheepish and failing. "I needed you to get enough sleep in case they attacked tomorrow. It backfired. They're here _now!_"

Kakashi stared at him stupidly, mid-way through the action of pulling his ninja sandal on. "You _drugged _me? _When!"_

"Before bed. I had to put it in your before-bed tea after you'd already sniffed it. I see Nenshou taught you well, eh?" Jiraiya ducked out the door again before Kakashi could respond and Kakashi began to grumble to himself about terrible teammates and stupid idiots who liked to attack under the cover of the night.

He began to swirl his chakra around inside of his body in an attempt to reinvigorate himself. Nenshou had taught him this as well. As the warmth of his crackling chakra spread throughout his body, he could feel his energy returning but his chakra was still sluggish. He continued to roil it up as he got ready, subconsciously preparing himself for battle as he methodically checked to ensure that he tightened his clothing where it needed tightening and tied things where they needed to be tied. He slipped his sheath over his head, fastening it so that it would stay in place.

Checking to make sure the sword was, in fact, in its sheath, Kakashi exited the room, sprinting down the hall in perfect ninja fashion. He would protect everyone.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

BLOOD WAS EVERYWHERE. People were being slaughtered, but only the right ones. At least, this is what Kakashi told himself as he ruthlessly cut down the enemies. There would be repercussions for his heartless killing. He knew this. He knew that he would face many mandatory psych evaluations.

Child prodigies were a wonderful thing, but they had a reputation for being mentally unstable. He was already marked as a possible basket case. He would need to school his features when Jiraiya asked him how he felt.

Kawarimi-ing back and forth, he slit a throat here, impaled someone through the stomach there. Sometimes he would pause to engage the Genin level ninja from Iwa in an amusing game of cat and mouse. When he was met with a Chunin he would make an effort to cut them down as fast as he possibly could in order to prevent them from killing him. When he met a Jonin he ran and went off to fight someone more his speed. No sense dying by playing hero, he figured.

He mentally kept track of how many he killed. Lives were important, no matter how big of an enemy they were. As Kakashi slammed a Fuketsu Hira-aided fist into someone's face, he wondered if his name would change from the White Skipper to something more sinister as he racked up kills.

His body was running purely on chakra. When he ran out of a good amount of chakra, he'd be shit out of luck. His body would give out and he'd have to sleep as the pills Jiraiya had given him intended to make him.

Kakashi's body was a whir of motion, rarely remaining in one spot for more than a minute. More than once he had stolen Gai and Genma's opponent's, luring them away so that his teammates had a chance to think up solutions to the problems they were facing.

His mind went blank when the woman he'd met earlier that day stepped out onto the field, her long white dress billowing out around her. She began to sway back and forth, using her body to mold her chakra and then she began to channel it into hand-seals. The jutsus were incredible. Water and earth combined to bend the mud to her will and it rose in walls around her.

Kakashi could only stare as the mud began to siphon off of the large pillars she was creating, jamming itself into the mouths and noses of enemies, suffocating them. Impressive. His gawking left him open for an attack and he received a deep gash to his thigh. He cried out in pain, crumpling to the ground.

Yawaraka was at his side in an instant, her mud slinging the offending attack into a tree close by. Her white hair shifted forward as she bent down to pick him up. Kakashi felt oddly comfortable in her arms, but figured it was the positive intent she was letting out rather than killing intent. This was much harder to do than killing intent because it was the opposite. It's a lot easier to make someone fear you and feel your rage than for someone to feel your love and projected calm.

Kakashi hissed as she began to quickly wrap his leg, having shoved the leg of his shorts up so that she could get to the wound. She frowned heavily but didn't say anything otherwise. He winced when she tied it excessively tight.

"That's for getting hurt for a stupid reason. Now get back out there. We can't have the city fall, not right now," she hissed, smacking him for good measure. Kakashi's hand went to his cheek, feeling the red sting that blazed just there. She took off at a run, her fingers flying through seals so that the mud would follow her again.

"Damn, I need to learn how to do that," Kakashi said to himself, wishing just for a moment that he had the Sharingan again. If his wishes were never met, he'd never have to have it.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

FIFTY-NINE DEATHS later, Kakashi was winded and ready to collapse. His legs trembled and he couldn't hardly stand on his own. His teammates were on either side of him, staring at him in awe. The physical and mental stress of taking so many lives was beginning to take its toll. Even as an adult he'd hated cutting down his enemies but it was something that had to be done, though. These people, however, just wouldn't get a clue.

At least, not yet. The numbers were thinning. Hopefully they would stop sending people in to take down Uzushiogakure and hopefully Jiraiya would be able to call for reinforcements. Kakashi grunted as he fell to his knees, having completely over-exerted himself.

" I can't fight anymore," he panted, the slow burning in his muscles beginning to intensify. He'd used up too much chakra. "Where's Jiraiya?"

"I don't know," whispered Genma, crouching down next to him. "You gonna be okay? I hate to see teammates get hurt..."

"Get strong enough to protect them so you don't have to," advised Kakashi. "I hate to see it, too."

Gai looked like he was at a loss. "I'll protect you both, I swear it. Kakashi's been doing all the protecting and we can't have that. If we don't learn to work as a team we'll die. After this—because there _will _be an after—we need to start working on team routines. We all try to fight on our own and it's not working!"

"Astute observation, my most charming pupil!" yelled a loud voice, accompanied by a swooshing sound of air. The sounds of battle still raged on around them but Jiraiya seemed oblivious to it all. "Here we need to get him looked at. The battle has been won already, they just don't know it yet. Uzu has perservered."

The last thing Kakashi could remember doing before he lost consciousness was smiling in relief.

**Author's Note: This is truly a shitty ending, I'm sorry. BUT consider it a cliffhanger because next chapter some super huge shit happens and you'll be like WHATTTTTTTT. So hang in there! Let me know what you think. I have kind of failed to describe Uzushiogakure but most of it is underground. There is some mystery surrounding all of this but bear with me. I might make up a picture and put it up so you guys can see what I think the architecture would look like. Again I've not watched the anime on this so I'm completely flubbing it.**

**I'd also like to state that I'm making up the whole circumstance of Uzu. Sazanami Yawaraka translates to Soft Ripples (If you read the name in the fashion of Yawaraka Sazanami).**

**REVIEW PLEASE! Any questions let me have them. I know the chapters are getting relatively short but I can't help it. I'll try to write a longer chapter next time.**


	10. Fizzle

**Chapter Ten: Fizzle**

_"So lock the kids up safe tonight and shut the eyes in the cupboard." _Climbing up the Walls by Radiohead

'

* * *

"HE'S BEEN OUT for over three days," Kakashi could hear a voice to his right murmuring. He struggled to sit up but found he couldn't move. Was his body not aware that it was time to move yet?

While the previous voice had been male, presumably Jiraiya's, the next voice to speak was definitely feminine... and familiar. "You shouldn't have left them, Jiraiya."

No honorific. She was definitely not happy. "I left them somewhere relatively safer than where I went. They were flooded with Genin and Chunin and I took care of the onslaught of Jonin. Compared to your numbers, they did much better. I don't appreciate your doubting my skills as a leader. I'll have you know that I'm one of the legendary Sannin—"

"Our numbers have been fighting like this for week! _They_ are fresh. Konoha should have sent more. If I didn't know better I'd think they _wanted_ us to fail. Idiots." The whole while she was insulting Konoha, her voice remained calm and nearly even. Kakashi's seal began to prickle at the biting words against Konoha.

He forced his lips to move, willed his larynx to comply. "D-don't talk about Konoha like that."

Kakashi felt a stirring of air as the woman—he could smell the perfume, jasmine and white lilies—turned around to regard him. "Well, it seems that you're awake. I thought I told you to stop getting hurt?"

"I thought I was a Shinobi sent here to protect your village. You should be grateful."

"I am grateful for your presence but not the service you must perform. I've waited many years to meet you, Kakashi."

Kakashi remained quiet, completely unsure of how to respond to the strange comment. Years? How had she known about him for that long. He knew that she was friends with his father but that didn't change the fact that he felt familiar with her and he had no clue why.

"Kakashi, I—" Yawaraka broke off, sounding troubled. Kakashi blearily opened his eyes so that he could regard her, but he winced when he realized just how torn she looked. She caught his gaze for a fleeting second before swiftly rising to her feet and turning away, her billowing white robes fanning out with a ruffling sound before she began to quickly march away.

"What?" He called out to her. "What about you?" He was now desperate to know who this woman was. This changed everything. He'd never encountered her in the previous timeline. Was this change because of him? Had she always been here?

Kakashi got no answer of any kind from her, save for the significant slamming of the door. He clamped his gray orbs shut, repressing a grunt of pure frustration. Jiraiya's hand on his shoulder hurt him as much as it helped. Physically it increased the dull ache of his chakra-deprived muscles and flesh but emotionally it offered him comfort.

"She's… strange."

"Why won't she just _tell _me. After today I don't think her news can make me feel any worse—wait. My father is alright, isn't he?"

"Sakumo is fine," said Jiraiya, a peculiar look in his eye. "She just… Oh, hell. I'm going to get in so much trouble for this. Do you want me to tell you or do you want to wait on her to tell you?"

Kakashi closed his eyes again, considering things carefully. "You tell me. I don't think she's going to tell me any time soon. Besides, it can't be that bad."

"Well… She's your mother."

The urge to vomit was the first response he felt and before he knew it, it had overwhelmed him. Ignoring the bone-crunching feel of rolling over, he threw up over the edge of the bed, right onto Jiraiya's feet. Jiraiya blanched and began to fret of his wooden sandals but Kakashi didn't bother to pay attention to him. Wiping a hand across his now-vomit laden mask, Kakashi angrily threw back the covers of his bed.

"Wh-where are you going, Kakashi?" Jiraiya demanded nervously, wringing out his hands. "You can't tell her I told you!"

"The hell I won't! She was okay with leaving me without a mother! Do you know what that does to a man?" Kakashi quickly reeled in his emotions before he could let anything slip and stalked out of the room, ignoring the searing pain that was streaking throughout his body. In a way it felt good, deserved. He owned it and it was his.

When he finally caught up with the woman, she was sitting on one of the smooth, low walls that bordered the door into one of the training rooms. She was hunched over with her back to him. "So you weren't going to tell me? I lived my whole life thinking you were _dead! _Forget me, what about your husband? Does _he _even know you're _alive?_" By the end of his short tirade, Kakashi's chest was heaving and his body was screaming.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," she observed softly, turning around to acknowledge him with a passive expression. Her green eyes were imploring him not to resist. He couldn't give her what she wanted.

"Fuck that," he snapped, ignoring the way she winced at such vile language from an eight year old. "Don't flinch like that. If you want me to act differently do something about it." He grabbed a vase, watching as her hands lifted from her lap as though to stop him before dropping back down in submission. He flung it with all of his might at one of the walls, a feeling of anger spreading through as it shattered into pieces as she still did nothing. He grabbed another and another, breaking all of them in rapid successon.

"_Do _something! Don't just stare at me like that! Make me behave! Don't you know how much I dreamed about you? I don't _know _what it's like to have a mother. I don't _know _how it feels to have someone who can actually cook me a decent meal and I don't have to teach them. I don't know how to _talk_ about how I _feel_—" He punctuated these words by throwing vases again. "—with others because I've always been told to be a man! Chin up, Kakashi, it'll get better. Well it doesn't. It gets worse!"

Kakashi was surprised to feel the wetness on his cheeks, but he didn't stop or bother to even wipe them away. Even in his mind he was no longer Kakashi the man. He was just a scared little boy who'd never had a mom even though he so desperately wanted one. He it crumpled to the floor, ignoring the fact that she caught him before he could fully make impact. "Why didn't you ever write, or even visit? Did you just not care about me at all?"

She squeezed him tighter. "Kakashi I love you, I always have. I care about you more than the world but I'm honor-bound to protect Uzu. This is my home. Your father visited me before he left. He knows I'm alive and he came to visit every so often but he couldn't visit you because you were too young. The Hokage is the only one who knows I'm not dead."

I had to use my death as a cover so I could return home and help protect Uzushio. I know you would have done the same for your village because I can see it in your eyes and in the things your father told me. He… he's told me some strange things about you. I know I can't talk about them. He didn't tell me everything, just that you knew things no one else did. He said you're a prophet of sorts. I guess you didn't see this coming, though."

Kakashi stared at the floor, the new information swirling throughout him. "I want you to share the family jutsu with me. I need to get stronger to protect Konoha. Big things are going to happen. Bad things."

He could feel her nodding, her chin resting against the top of his head. "I always knew you were more like me. You get your loyalty from your father but you get your emotional side from me. We appear calm but underneath the surface we are tumultuous."

Kakashi sighed heavily, enjoying the feel of the motherly embrace he'd never known. He wasn't sure if it was the emotional stress or the residual physical stress from the skirmish, but his body felt incredibly heavy and his mother's arms were the most comfortable place he could think of. "I'm sorry I broke the vases," he murmured groggily.

"It's okay, all the good ones were broken already, anyway."

Kaskashi snickered lightly as he fell asleep. His mother began to hum a tune that he vaguely remembered from infancy. For the first time in a long time, sleep was peaceful.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

WHEN HE NEXT awoke, a different set of voices were surrounding him.

"Good grief, how long is that brat gonna sleep? My mom would have shaken me awake by now. It's nearly noon!" whined a male voice, loud and brash.

Another voice, this one deep and much more considerate, followed. "Maa, let him sleep. Sleep does the mind good. Helps to sort out all sorts of things. I'm sure—"

"I think he needs some food. Maybe some oolong tea…. Hmm. What do you guys think?"

" I think," grunted Kakashi, pulling himself into a sitting position. "You should all start by explaining why you're here."

The Ino-Shika-Cho group looked at him with a look that was initially surprised and then soon spread into a look of joy.

Choza engulfed him in a manly hug while Inoichi and Shikaku decided to stand back looking at him smugly. "You'll never be too old for my hugs, Kakashi-kun!"

It was odd that his family was rapidly growing and it wasn't just people tied to him by blood. Ibiki stood in the corner, awkwardly. It was strange to see him without any scars to cover up with gloves or a modified hitai-ate. Kakashi was almost amused to notice that the boy had an unruly, dark mop of hair that stuck up in odd directions all over his head.

"They're here because Uzu requested back-up," informed a voice from the corner. Sakumo stared at his son in amusement. "Sorry, I had to try one of Jiraiya's dramatic entries… Gotta say it's kind of fun."

Kakashi smiled shyly, suddenly aware of the new information that he had gathered. "Hi…"

"Give us a minute, you guys. He'll be here for you to pal around with as long as you're here, so bugger off, would ya?" Sakumo half-ordered, half-requested. Inoichi rolled his eyes in mock-disdain but did as he was told. After the trio had evacuated, Kakashi leaned back onto his hands and stared at his lap.

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"It didn't feel right. I wanted to give her the chance to tell you. I guess she couldn't do it, either." Sakumo had the tact to look at least a little bit guilty as he lowered himself down onto Kakashi's futon.

"Hn. I wonder if she was mad that Jiraiya told me…" Kakashi looked to his father for confirmation, feeling confused when his father smiled.

His father laughed brightly before explaining. "No, she didn't mind. She's terrible at sharing heavy information if it's not for a mission. She… She had to get someone else to tell me when it came time for her to leave for her mission. I hope you weren't too hard on her."

Kakashi frowned guiltily. "I did… I yelled at her and broke some vases. But, I guess it turned out alright."

"Well good, because now we can get you training. I told you I'd find you more jutsu to learn."

Kakashi smiled and looked at his hands. They were still bandaged up. "I guess I won't be learning for a while."

"Well, actually, your kaa-san is pretty good at medical jutsu. She'll get you patched up in no-time," assured Sakumo. Kakashi smiled and wondered why she hadn't done it before, but figured it didn't matter.

"So… how much longer do we have here?"

"About two months. Looks like you won't get to celebrate with Anko this year."

Kakashi frowned to himself, wondering just what on earth she was doing at the moment. Then he figured it was something with Orochimaru and he had to push the thought from his mind. He couldn't prevent the things that he knew were happening to her. The Anko he knew wouldn't have changed a thing because she said that if she had she'd never have met Kakashi.

He could only hope that things would work out the same this time.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HE'S SCREAMING AGAIN," Jiraiya remarked absently. Inoichi nodded, and so did Sakumo.

"When I said he doesn't normally do this, I lied. I just don't know how to deal with it," Sakumo said, looking but not really feeling guilty. "Do you think maybe if we know what he's screaming about we can help him?"

"Well… we do have the Yamanaka and Ibiki, so… Maybe we could figure it out. Both of their families specialize in the mind, do they not?" Jiraiya gave Inoichi a hard look when the boy flinched and began to pale.

"B-but I promised him I'd never do that to him again! This is majorly intrusive. You can help him without doing this. I don't understand why you're going to such extremes—"

"The things he says offhandedly are not things he should know. He should not have been able to teach Genma how to manipulate water to that extent in one day. I don't care how much theory he was taught. Genma told me how he taught him—it takes years to even understand how to mold the chakra and how to get past certain barriers!"

"But he's a loyal ninja of Konoha, we're not to use jutsu against—"

"Just do it. As his father… I give permission." Sakumo sighed heavily, knowing that Kakashi was going to be in a murderous rage when he woke up again. Yawaraka gave him a nervous, disapproving look but he ignored it. This was for the best.

In no less than twenty minutes they were assembled around Kakashi's bed. He writhed torturously in his sleep, wretched cries of desperation tumbling from his lips. Sakumo bit his lip, trying to remind himself that this was for the benefit of Konoha and Kakashi. If the tortured screams were any indication, something definitely had to be done.

"I still don't want to do this," mumbled Inoichi, rubbing his temple with his index and middle finger before he let out a deep breath and spread his feet apart. "You ready, Choza?"

Choza nodded and moved behind his friend to catch him after the jutsu went into effect. Inoichi lifted his hands, making an L with the forefinger and thumb of each hand. He inverted them, pressing the tips of his index fingers to the tips of the thumbs on the opposite hand, creating a box of sorts. With another exhalation he raised his hands, wincing at the thought of what he was doing. "I'm sorry, Kakashi…"

"Just do it," ordered Jiraiya."You have a lot to learn about being a ninja, kid. I don't _want_ you to do this, but it must be done."

Inoichi nodded curtly, giving Ibiki a short look before steeling his resolve. "Dokushinjutsu."

He let out a soft breath of air as his mind went blank to make room for Kakashi's personality. He could already feel the panic settling over him as he began to experience Kakashi's mindscape.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

A DOOR COVERED in chains loomed before him. Inoichi took a slow step forward, knowing that he shouldn't but feeling drawn to it anyway. '_Go on,' _whispered a sinister voice that Inoichi didn't want to think was Kakashi's but deep down he knew it was. '_Let me out.'_

Inoichi looked around, trying to find out where he was beyond the pull of the door. He was standing on white tile, though the color was muted. At the edge of the tile was grass, spilling slightly over the ceramic surface. He tilted his head for a moment, wondering why it was set up that way. The whole mindscape seemed very… organized but cluttered and disorganized all in one go.

He left the door, the call of the field beyond the tile calling to him more pleasantly than the voice behind the door. A loud clangoring arose from the door, presumably from the prisoner hurling themselves at the door repeatedly. The sense of impending doom only increased from there. The anxious clutching in his chest did not lessen.

It took him a lot longer to cross the tiles than he had anticipated and he couldn't help but notice how the sky grew darker and darker as he approached. He gulped slightly when the sky began to turn unnaturally red.

A shrill cry in the distance refocused his wandering mind and he scanned the horizon for a clue but found none. He heard another cry off to his right and peered in that direction, only to find nothing. Inoichi could distinctly hear the rustle of motion to his left but when he whirled around to look there was nothing but calm trees and bushes.

'_Hello?'_ He called out, the panic rising in his throat like bile. He turned around again at the sound of a rustle, surprised only momentarily to see that there was indeed something for his efforts this time.

His surprise immediately turned into horror when he realized that what he was seeing was an older version of himself, bruised and bleeding to death. He was missing an arm, he noticed. Inoichi could feel the bile in his throat and knew that he was getting sick in his real body as he stayed in Kakashi's mind. This had never happened to him before. If his teammates didn't react appropriately he might aspirate. He knew he should eject but he couldn't. Kakashi had found a way to hold him in place. This wasn't natural.

_'Kakashi, protect my daughter for me!'_ gasped the slowly dying Inoichi. He grabbed onto Inoichi's leg, hauling himself up with only his left arm. As he breathed, a distinct gurgling sound emerged. He choked on the sound, hacking up blood onto the younger Inoichi's leg. .

'_What is this!? Kakashi, I'm sorry for invading your mind but they made me do it!' _he screamed, not desiring to see anything else from Kakashi's mind. He tried to release the jutsu but he couldn't. He kicked the older version of himself to the side, making a break for it as fast as he could.

The door was practically screaming for him now. '_Let me out!' _a voice screamed from behind the door. '_I forgive you Inoichi just let me out of here!'_

Inoichi felt that it took him forever to reach the door, but when he got there he began to yank and tug on every single chain he could find.

'_Wouldn't do that if I was you,' _warned a soft voice from behind him. Inoichi spun around to find a young man with blonde hair looking at him piteously. '_That's not what you're looking for. What you want is this way.'_

He pointed to the right, where it was dark and gloomy. '_He's in there.'_

Inoichi nodded, trying to get a grip over himself. This was getting a lot scarier than he'd ever anticipated.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"SIT HIM UP, dammit!" yelled Sakumo, grabbing Inoichi as he began to vomit, still lying on his back. Choza rushed to help him, holding Inoich's mouth open so that he didn't choke on it further.

Sakumo wrinkled his brow in distaste, giving Yawaraka a sad look. "This isn't going as well as I would have hoped…"

"I'll say. I've never seen him do that before... This is beginning to get troublesome," admitted Shikaku, squatting down so that he could begin to think. "By now Kakashi is likely aware that Inoichi is in his mind. Question is, why is he reacting so violently?"

Choza coughed shyly and rose a hand. "I remember that he promised to never do it to him again. He broke his promise."

Shikaku frowned, wiping a hand down his face. He braced his hands together, finger tips and thumbs pressed together as he thought.

"All we can do is wait," whispered Yawaraka, her voice heavy with worry. "I'll never forgive you if this hurts him."

Sakumo hung his head in shame. "He's already been hurt more than you even know. We could have done things much differently. I should have done things differently, but I'm trying to fix them now. A lot of this was out of my hands."

Jiraiya gave him a look of quiet consideration before looking away, staring out the window with a feeling of regret growing in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

'_DID YOU THINK I wouldn't notice?'_ Kakashi purred, his voice laced with murderous intent as Inoichi practically cowered before him. In his mind, Kakashi was an adult in all his glory, Sharingan eye active and dangerous.

'_Wh-what happened to you?' _asked Inoichi.

'_Life happened to me. Happened to you, too. Only you don't remember because it hasn't happened to you yet. I remember though.'_

Inoichi cried out as an onslaught of Kakashi's memories began to impact his mind. The birth of his child. The loss of family. Shikaku's and Choza's families. His daughter being infatuated with Sasuke. Uchiha massacre and his daughter's disbelief. Her resolve to never let the boy be sad again. His daughter's graduation and her placement on the Ino-Shika-Cho team. So many memories that had started out nice and were now turning sour. The invasion during the Chunin exams, the death of the Sandaime Hokage—that one hit him surprisingly hard—the betrayal of Sasuke. His daughter's broken heart. His daughter's broken heart when Shikamaru had found a girlfriend. His dismay over the war. His own death. Kakashi's suffering. .

'_Don't you see?' _Kakashi demanded, his voice oddly quiet. '_I was chosen to fix things. Everything._'

Another onslaught of memories, this time Kakashi's. Inoichi cried out as he experienced the death of Sakumo, the loss of Obito and Rin, the many, depressing years of ANBU. The loss of many loves, the feelings of lonliness, the loss of Minato, the guilt over not doing more for Naruto. The gut-wrenching feelings of failure and despair over the failings of his own team… all of it. That wasn't even the worst of it.

Now they'd made it to the war. He watched in slow motion as a kid he didn't know but felt he should love was cut down, overpowered. Gai, now older but just as quirky, went out in a blaze of glory. He opened all eight gates and took down as many enemies as he could before meeting his own bloody end.

So many deaths left to experience. He tried again and again to eject himself from the whorish nightmare but he could not. He cried out, sobbed, pleaded with Kakashi to be released from the jutsu but the man with war-as hardened eyes refused. Inoichi cried out raggedly as he watched the daughter he now knew he would have run through with a katana and left to die. He watched as Kakashi quickly and efficiently ended her life to put her out of her misery, her wounds too great to be healed.

Was it possible to feel your own heart breaking for someone you'd never even met?

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HAVE YOU EVER seen him act this way when he uses this jutsu?" asked Jiraiya, the worry evident in his voice. Tears were streaming down the blonde's face at a rapid fire pace, leaving dark, watery stains on his flak jacket.

"Sakumo, what is he doing to the boy?" asked Yawaraka, referring to Kakashi's treatment of Inoichi. She was actually beginning to fear that there would be permanent damage to the Yamanaka boy.

"I haven't the faintest clue," admitted Sakumo truthfully. He could only hope his boy wasn't being too harsh on the boy.

When Inoichi began to sob and scream loudly, they became even more worried. Yawaraka moved forward and pulled the boy into a hug, not knowing what else to do. She didn't give a damn that she was sister of the clan head's wife, this boy needed her and she'd be damned if she wasn't there for him. That was just the kind of person she was.

After he began to tremble and sob even harder, she couldn't help but feel bad. Her son was causing this, she was sure of it.

Inoichi shuddered and sat up, pulling out of her grip with a wild look in his eyes. He stared at them, panicked breaths wooshing in and out of his lungs as he regarded them. After only seconds of staring at them, he crumpled again. Howling cries left his lips and he held onto Yawaraka for all he was worth, which at the moment, wasn't very much.

"What happened?" asked Sakumo, his voice carefully masking the hopeful tones he was feeling.

Inoichi looked at him with a sense of wonderment as he shook. "I can't help him."

"What do you mean?"

"I couldn't get out of there. He forced me to stay and watch everything he had to show me… I think I _have _to show you after I'm a little bit more… grounded, Jiraiya." Inoichi used the back of his left arm to wipe the snot and tears from his face, idly realizing that this was the arm he hadn't lost in the future. How interesting. "Sakumo, would it be appropriate if I shared this with Shikaku? He's our best plan at the moment."

"Oh. I see what he's done to you… you're taking it remarkably well, then, all things considered…" Sakumo patted Inoichi on the head and pulled him into the hug. "Welcome to the family. Break our trust and we kill you."

Inoichi nodded numbly. "I think it just hasn't hit me yet."

"What the hell are you talking about?" demanded Jiraiya, his interest peaked. "Explain yourself."

"I have to… show you not tell you."

"Very well, you can show me after everyone else gets to sleep," reasoned Jiraiya, suddenly on edge. He had a tingling feeling that he usually got when something big happened or a girl with particularly large knockers happened to be in the vicinity. He was a wishful thinker, but he highly doubted it was the latter.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HOW LONG HAVE you known?" asked Jiraiya, his features hardened with the weight of the things he'd just seen.

"A year, maybe? I've lost track, to be honest. I never would have thought I'd forget the day that I learned my son had already grown up... In his timeline I killed myself after I saved my teammates on that mission Danzo sent me on. This time I couldn't let that happen. So I killed my dreams and I became the perfect tool. I will help him succeed and you will do the same." Sakumo's face was rigid with determination that even Jiraiya could appreciate.

He nodded, his lips curving into a wry smile. "He'll be the best student I've trained yet. Better than Minato even. He has the potential to be the greatest ninja that Konoha has ever seen... This Naruto... I'm sure they'll both do incredible things."

"Promise me. Promise that you'll train him to the best of your ability and that, live or die, you will help him protect Konoha."

"I promise, Sakumo. We might need to stay in Uzu a while so he can pick up his mother's jutsu... We'll need to keep this all a secret though. A seal of some sort? Or maybe we form a secret organization that will protect Konoha... Yeah, that sounds pretty nice actually."

Sakumo folded his arms as he considered things. "Hmm... Well everyone should be properly informed. I'd like the Yamanaka to perform the jutsu on me so I can see first-hand how this all happens. Shikaku, young as he is, is a brilliant asset to the team. That, however, would mean we need to bring in Choza. If we go that route, we might have Ibiki practice his torturing skills on them to teach them to keep quiet about the activities and things we're doing. On the token of bringing others in, Nenshou might be a good one to include in things. I'm not sure about including Minato because certain things need to be carried out to the 't.' What do you think?"

"I'm not sure, either. I'll have to think on it. But we should also include the boy's mother so she can understand the gravity of the situation and she'll not pussyfoot around the boy, because he's not a boy. His body can't take the stress that a teenagers could but we can still hone his chakra control. It's already near-perfect. He'll need inhuman control for some of the things I want to teach him."

"He's not to be of the Toad Summoning contract, though. I've found him a near-legendary summon that will be perfect for him. It's still hush-hush and not agreed upon yet, though, so I can't say what it is."

Jiraiya nodded and stared at his hands. "You've got yourself a unique boy there, Hatake." He looked across the room at the boy sleeping peacefully on the bed, a scowl on his face. "I'll be damned if I let anything happen to him."

**Author's Note: I'm a liar. A big fat liar. I know I said it would be longer but I figure the fast update makes up for it. :] How does this strike ya? Let me know! I'm actually pretty excited about this chapter. :]**

**Also, any ideas for the name of their organization? I kind of the like "The Burning Hand" or "The Black Hand." What do you guys think?**


	11. Burning Hearts

**Author's Note: WEE! 10, 200 + views! And I've reached 60 faves and 112 follows. I'm so honored guys. I love you all! **

* * *

**Chapter 11: Burning Hearts **

"_Change, surround the hope. Every leaf of balance says did you think that he's it? You be the eyes; I'll be the whisper. This kid's got lies-half have helped to treasure." _Health by Funeral Suits

* * *

"OHAYO, KAKASHI-SHINME!" Sakumo called out in a sing-song voice as he gently shook his son. "Time to wake up, we have a lot to do today. Now that everyone is up to—"

"Don't touch me," growled Kakashi, shoving his father's hands away from him. Sakumo faltered, surprised by his son's hostility.

"Is... is something wrong?"

"_Is something wrong?" _sneered Kakashi, his eyes narrowed in derision. Sakumo frowned when he noticed the reddish-gray tint to his son's eyes. "You don't tell me I have a mother for all of my life and you ask me if something is wrong? I never got to meet her in my own time-line!"

Kakashi, growing tired of words shifted his weight forward so quickly that Sakumo did a double-take and stepped back. "What are you—"

Kakashi was at his throat before he could blink. Sakumo, however, was a seasoned ninja and easily flipped his son over his shoulder and onto the floor. "What's wrong with you? Calm down and we'll talk about this like adults!"

His son looked at him like he was nuts before leaping at him again, murder in his strangely hued eyes. "I hate you!" he screamed, trying to claw at his father's face. Sakumo sighed tiredly and easily hit the pressure point on Kakashi's shoulder, knocking him out. That couldn't have been Kakashi.

Sakumo calmly waited, holding his unconscious son in his lap until Jiraiya got there. Jiraiya was supposed to meet them and would most definitely be perturbed by their lateness. Sakumo could feel his respect for the man growing each day, despite the man's outlandish antics. They were quite good, really. He supposed it was where his son drew inspiration from in the future. He'd heard from Inoichi about how Kakashi seemed in the future. Part of it was for isolation to be free of ties that could hurt him. The other part was for a jump on the enemy—if they thought you were useless and unassuming they'd be less likely to fight you seriously.

When Jiraiya finally arrived, Sakumo had spent a good half-hour thinking and planning out how to deal with Kakashi's problem.

"Why were you late?" inquired Jiraiya, his face curved with a wry smile. "Never thought _you'd _be late. You're the most punctual man I've ever met."

Sakumo sighed and then smiled sheepishly. "It seems Kakashi is having some... personality problems. We need Inoichi to assist us so we can properly assess the problem."

"I see..." Jiraiya suddenly seemed serious. He nodded curtly, performed a quick Kuchiyose jutsu, and send off one of the toads to summon the boy. "What exactly seems to be the problem."

"I think that because he has had to repress a lot of his emotions, coupled with the small amounts of Kyuubi chakra still in his system, he has manifested a second personality. This might explain the wall with chains that was mentioned by Inoichi. His removal of some of the chains, in addition to the severe emotional stress Kakashi is under, might have weakened the barricade."

Sakumo lovingly smoothed Kakashi's hair away from his face. "Such a beautiful child... it's a shame both of his parents had to miss out on his growing up..."

"Don't make the same mistake twice," suggested Jiraiya, a lop-sided grin taking over his face. "Hell, if anything happens to you I'm adopting the kid. He's my biggest fan, you know that? He can recite copies of my books to me word for word."

Sakumo's mouth curved into a thoughtful smile. "Hmm... interesting."

There was a knock at the already-open door and Inoichi stood uncomfortably in the doorframe, hand still poised in the position it had been to knock on the door. "You requested me?"

"Hai, we need your assistance. You need to help me go inside of Kakashi's mind so I can determine the level of influence of the Kyuubi's chakra on the boy and seal it off," stated Jiraiya, leaving out the alter ego of Kakashi's completely. Inoichi looked uncertain but he nodded, knowing that he couldn't refuse.

"I've never done anything like this before... Should we get someone else to oversee it? I haven't even been properly taught this," he confessed, toying with his ponytail. "I studied it by myself when my father gave me entrance to the family library but... I'm afraid I'll hurt your minds."

Jiraiya chuckled darkly, beginning his silly dance. "I am Jiraiya, the _super pervert!_ My mind is already corrupted!"

Inoichi smiled, relieved by the man's wordless assurance of confidence. He calmly instructed Jiraiya to lay down on the floor and then instructed Sakumo to lie Kakashi down two three feet away from him so that the two were parallel.

"I trust you, Inoichi," affirmed Sakumo, ruffling Inoichi's hair. That didn't happen to him often so it made him chuckle a bit. "Do what needs to be done and do it well, you hear me?"

Inoichi nodded and sat down cross-legged between the two prone bodies, placing a hand on each head. He closed his eyes, working on the connection of the mind between himself and the other two. It was taxing to be in one mind, but to work with two minds at once... he had no idea how in the future he'd managed to communicate with multiple members of his family. It seemed to beyond his skills at the moment that he became slightly fearful of failing. The fact that it _had _happened however gave him the faith in himself to make the connections between the two minds.

They were shoddy at best but they were affective. Whereas he looked solid and real, Jiraiya's body looked incorporeal and ghost-like. Jiraiya smiled at him, moving to clap him on the shoulder only to find his hand went right through Inoichi's shoulder.

'_Sorry, first time. I'll try to make it stronger at the time of the sealing but this is taxing as it is,' _he admitted, his cheeks taking a sheepish tint even though he wasn't a real person inside the mind. It was the reaction he expected so it occurred.

Jiraiya looked around, admiring the darkness of Kakashi's mindscape. '_I wager this is what mine will look like now after having experienced all that death from Kakashi's mind... Now where is the door?'_

He frowned when he noticed the blood-red sky and dark landscape. It was rather disturbing, to be frank.

Inoichi pointed to the door, which still stood chained. He wouldn't admit it but the landscape appeared much darker now that it had before. A blonde young man was kneeling in front of it, hands pressed against the door as though he were listening to whoever was behind it. Wordlessly Inoichi began to sprint toward it and Jiraiya followed, knowing they were headed in the right direction.

When they finally made it there, the two stood still for a moment, watching the young man leaning against the door.

'_You idiot, how'd you let him out? How the hell am I supposed to get you out if you're locked in there with the key?'_ the young man demanded, his voice keen with worry. His brash undertones indicated a more reckless nature than Kakashi.

_ 'Go track him down and trick him into giving you the key!' _commanded a voice that Jiraiya distantly remembered hearing in the memories that Inoichi had shared with him. Kakashi.

'_Is Kakashi trapped behind the door?' _asked Inoichi, his tone serious. He looked at the blonde, waiting for an answer. Said blonde turned around slowly to stare at them, his face full of wonder at seeing the faded image of Jiraiya.

Silently he moved closer, his hand reaching out as though to touch Jiraiya and make sure he was real. Inoichi tried to strengthen the connection but there wasn't enough time and the boy's hand passed through Jiraiya's cheek. He turned away; face red with shame as tears built up in his eyes. The whole exchange was a bit bizarre to watch and made Inoichi feel like he was intruding upon a special moment.

'_I should have known...You probably don't remember me at all, but-'_

_ 'I remember you, Naruto. Inoichi showed me all about you...' _Jiraiya smiled at Naruto, his voice soft. '_I can't wait to meet you for real.'_

_ 'Do you... do you think after I'm born you can help me get back into my body?' _asked Naruto, his face shining and hopeful. Jiraiya nodded. Naruto beamed and straightened up so that he stood a little taller.

'_I'll do my best. My absolute best! And that's a _promise.' Naruto brightened, remembering just how important Jiraiya's promises were. He might lie and cheat but he never broke a promise.

Inoichi suddenly shouted in fear, pointing to a fox that was the size of a horse. '_Wh-what is that?'_

_ 'Kurama,' _said Naruto, running over and jumping onto the foxes back. '_His bark is worse than his bite. He never intended to destroy Konoha. He wants to live just as bad as the rest of us so he helped me to send Kakashi back.'_

There was a loud thumping from the inside of the door. Inoichi immediately moved forward and began to peel off the chains that were holding the door shut.

'_How are you doing that?' _asked Naruto, his voice full of awe. Jiraiya was slightly suspicious that he heard an undercurrent of jealousy. Naruto began to rub the fox behind the ears as he continued to speak. '_I tried that and nothing happened!'_

'_Shinjutsu is my specialty,'_ explained Inoichi, hissing as one of the barbs on the chains cut through his finger. He hadn't expected it to hurt. He wondered if his real finger was bleeding or if it was a trick of the mind. He pushed the thought away as he realized that everyone could hear his thinking.

'_There we go,' _mused Kakashi, stepping out of the dark room. '_Now all we have to do is find him and—'_

Kakashi broke off when he realized something. '_Wait. I can call him because it's mind mind...'_

A swearing, childish version of Kakashi appeared. He tried to attack the real Kakashi, but Inoichi stepped in, using a quick strike to knock the being out of commission. He crumpled to the ground, and Inoichi tilted his head to the side. '_I wonder if being unconscious in here makes you conscious out there? Nah, I don't think so. Still odd.'_

Inoichi immediately began to focus on the bond, using all of his focus to give Jiraiya a better, more corporeal form. Jiraiya smiled in satisfaction and walked forward, picked up the dark version of Kakashi and chucked him deep into the cell-like room. He slammed the door and immediately began to construct a seal on it, somehow using his own blood to write the seal. Blood-seals were stronger than regular seals but not quite as strong as chakra-seals.

After sealing away dark Kakashi, he sealed off the influence of the Kyuubi by putting a seal on its forehead directly between the eyes of the beast. It allowed this, knowing that it would help Kakashi and therefore him as well.

By the time Jiraiya was done, Inoichi was exhausted and becoming chakra-depleted. His quickly severed the connections, knowing that it would give him a headache. He couldn't risk staying in there and losing consciousness or he would be stuck out of his own body until someone else could put him back into it. That would mean he'd need carried back to Konoha and Kakashi would be burdened with his presence until then. It would also leave his body nearly brain-dead which wasn't good for the functioning of his body systems.

Job completed, Inoichi flopped back onto the floor, exhausted. Sakumo gave him a strong smile before picking him up and putting him into Kakashi's bed so he could sleep it off. Things were finally beginning to look up for Konoha.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"SO WHAT HAPPENED, man," asked Genma, stretching out so that his palms were flat against the ground. "You were out for a few days and then you were awake and then I hear you got put back under again. It sounded entirely too intense."

Kakashi chuckled to himself, silently agreeing with the boy. "I was just super stressed and what not. Physically and emotionally and I guess I needed more sleep than I knew."

"Sleep is a wonderful thing. It refreshed the youth! Might I say that you look most youthful today, Kakashi!" Gai cheered, fist-pumping. Inside Kakashi's mind Naruto was loudly proclaiming that Kakashi needed to be more fired-up like Gai always was.

Behind them Jiraiya was stretching out and leading the Chunin and Sakumo through the stretches that he usually had his group run through, listening to their whines of disapproval with a wide smile. "Ah, music to my ears! You sound just like my squad used to. Get a move on! After this we're going to do some one on one spars, then we'll start the _real _fun!"

Ten minutes later they were done stretching. Gai paired up with Kakashi, Genma with Ibiki—that turned into a disaster right away—Shikaku and Choza paired up and Inoichi switched in and out with them. Sakumo paired up with Jiraiya and the two discreetly discussed plans for the future as they play-fought.

Kakashi enjoyed the feeling of fighting without having to worry about whose lives he'd have to take. It was fun to just whirl about, perfectly in sync with himself, as he dodged and flowed around his opponent.

After a while Jiriaya called time and had them line up before him so that they could all watch him move through the seals of the jutsu he wanted to teach them.

Surprisingly enough, it was a Hatake Jutsu, the Fuketsu Hira. He'd already cleared it with Kakashi's father. While they worked on that, Jiraiya pulled Kakashi and Sakumo off to the side to work on enhancing the jutsu.

"You get dirt on your face when you do the jutsu, correct?" asked Jiraiya, though it wasn't entirely a question so much as a statement. When Kakashi nodded, he smiled. "I want you to focus on that. You can created an... armor of sorts if you use that."

"I can't, Doton jutus aren't my affinity. Lightning is. It would be a waste to focus on those. Water is my closest affinity and it would work well with Lightning. If I can learn to couple Suiton and Raiton jutsu... it might be my best offensive style. Or defensive, I'm not sure." Kakashi reasoned, his voice lilting with excitement.

"I think his mother would be better suited to teach him all of her Suiton techniques. That's her affinity," said Sakumo. "I'm not sure how well acquainted you are with Raiton but I can teach you a thing or few about channeling the chakra. I'd rather teach you to channel the elemental chakra before we move on to actual jutsu. This way you can both control it better."

Jiraiya nodded, excited at the prospect of learning even more jutsu. He was a jack of trades and master of some. "Bring it, my perverted brother!"

Sakumo smiled and took a deep breath before launching into lecture mode. "First you have to find your center... My center of concentration is in the chest and just here," he said, pointing to the spot right between his eyes. "When you find your center focus on it and the chakra that you feel there."

This was mostly for his son, but manipulating each element was different. This one called upon being centered and grounded so that you weren't harmed by your own electrical charge when properly manipulating it. Being able to guide the element before learning the jutsus was important because used inappropriately they would harm the caster.

"You're a good teacher, Sakumo," offered Jiraiya. "I've never actually been taught to manipulate Lightning, I've always done it on my own. I figured working it out yourself would be the smartest thing to do."

"Not always, but sometimes. Now, when you find that area where you feel the most centered, I want you to gather and pool your chakra there. This is the center of your energy. Lightning requires the implementation of the electrical currents in your body. What you're going to do is amplify them and create more and more electricity within yourself until you can project it outward."

Kakashi was surprised. He'd been using Raiton jutsus for a long time in his other timeline and he'd never known all of this about the element. Perhaps now his Chidori would take less of a toll on his body. That wasn't to say he didn't have doubts about creating it at all.

"After you've pooled your chakra, I want you to find a point on your body that has the strongest chakra output areas and I want you to flood it with the elemental chakra. In the beginning you might only emit a small spark or you might emit a large bolt of lightning. I know you've used the element before but not that much in this body and never manipulating the element. I never got a chance to teach you how to do it properly before."

"We had time, I think you were just…. _Stalling." _Kakashi grunted into the last word as a small bolt of electricity erupted from his hand. "Interesting. I might have something different to work with than the Chidori…."

"The what?"

"I'll explain some other time, sensei," Kakashi said without looking up from his hands.

Sakumo stared at his son for a moment, thinking. "You know, you've always channeled the chakra into the sword I gave you to use. We should see about you channeling chakra into your palms and trying to project solely the element. That might be beneficial for the future."

"It'll take a lot of chakra," Kakashi mumbled, sighing. "I can't wait to grow back into a teenager so I can actually increase my stupid chakra reserves."

Jiraiya smiled brightly at him, knowing that Kakashi was going to do great things in the future. "I wouldn't worry about it, you'll have near inhuman chakra control by that time. As your reserves grow your chakra control will need to be maintained so you'll need to do a lot of work. It's going to be a tough process."

Kakashi sighed, putting his head in his hands. He just couldn't win.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"I KNOW IT'S not much of a present, but… it was the best we could do under the circumstances." Genma's tone was apologetic and he stood in front of Kakashi awkwardly, shuffling his feet back and forth. Gai looked a bit nervous as well, though he still stood up straight and stiffly. He was a prodigy, and as such he must behave properly.

As Kakashi accepted their humble gift, he wondered if Gai had ever gotten presents before. He knew that Gai was an orphan, just as his son would end up thinking he was. Kakashi was determined to never let Lee face the same adversity that he had before.

"Thanks, you guy… You really didn't have to. It's not an important birthday, you know…"

Genma and Gai smiled triumphantly as Kakashi opened his present. "Don't worry about it, we know how important birthdays are. Nine is only one year away from double digits, of course it's important!"

Kakashi beamed, true joy rippling through him as he regarded the book in his hands. It was the newest one by Jiraiya, which wasn't even in stores yet "You don't wanna know what we had to do to get that," Gai whispered seriously. "I feel like a vile—"

"Are you kidding me?! Peeping was _great!"_

Yawaraka gave Genma a sour look and he blushed a deep shade of red and removed the senbon from his mouth. "I mean, uh, sorry."

From his mother he received traditional training garb, while his father and other teammates offered up a plethora of new ninja supplies. One could never be too prepared, especially not Kakashi. . Nenshou had sent him a letter and a present. Jiraiya read the letter and immediately left; apparently there had been code in the message calling him back to Konoha for a meeting with the Hokage.

In the letter, Nenshou spoke of visiting Uzu when things calmed down and teaching Kakashi some more kenjutsu. It was a simple letter, coded so well that had Kakashi not been formerly an ANBU captain he would never have known it was coded.

He was still adept at looking underneath the underneath.

After his "special" birthday lunch—everyone else ate but not him—his mother took him out to the training rooms to begin teaching him the Uzu style of fighting. It was like watching a person made of water, bending and flowing around their opponent. Apparently Kakashi had a natural propensity for the style. His mother remarked that his fighting style already involved flowing motions and dodging so this style would actually be very natural for him.

As he moved through the punches, kicks, and blocks with her he felt more centered than he had in a long time.

"Is this what's it's like?" he asked softly, his voice tender with emotion.

"Having a mother? Well, usually the men teach the Uzu style but seeing as your father is from Konoha that makes it my job. It's my job to take care of you and nurture you. I have to admit I don't like that you read those dirty books."

"Kaa-san, I'm practically a grown man in a child's body!" he hissed, trying to avoid being heard by his teammates. "Would you look on it that way even then?"

"Even then."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and then yelped when she aimed a punch for his face. He shifted to the side, leaning forward around her as he had just been instructed. Realizing that this was the initiation of a spar, he pushed forward so that he could move behind her, then around to her other side. He struck out quickly with a fist, missing because she leaned into and around the punch, then whirled around rapidly so that he could avoid her wrapping around him as he'd done to her.

She whirled around quickly, her weight on the pad of her foot as she easily spun in a counter-clockwise motion. A well-aimed kick towards the face was met with a response on his end of dropping low to the ground, bending and slithering around to the side of her. At the same time he struck his foot out, low and sure so that it brought her down. She landed with a light oof!, rolled back to feet fluidly, and then took her stance again.

"How do you learn so quickly? It takes normal kids years to do that!"

"I am a prodigy, which you would _know _if you had stuck around," he said smoothly, intending for only a little bit of bite to be inflicted. Her gaze hardened and she struck out viciously, knocking him to the ground before he could react. He nursed his bleeding nose as he carefully eyed her.

"I may have left you but I did it to protect my country and my village," Yawaraka hissed, crouching down to get close enough or him to hear her. "Tell me how what you are differs in any way from what I had done."

"I never met you in my other timeline…" he gasped, the pain of her punch spreading through his gut. "I thought you died when I was little! I was fucked up after I lost tou-san, alright?"

"Alright," she whispered, pulling back from him. She wiped the stray tears out of her eyes and sighed, straightening up again. "I'd appreciate it if you would stop making those remarks. They hurt me."

"Why are you being so formal?" he grunted, rolling to his feet.

She stared at her feet for a moment. "It is unbecoming of one in my position to get emotional in a public forum."

Kakashi nodded, understanding completely.

"I'm going to go check on Gai-san." It was said in short clipped tones. Kakashi watched as she padded over to Gai, bumping his hands into the correct positions when they got too rigid. Kakashi smiled slightly, knowing that with Gai mastering the style, it would never fade from history.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HOW WAS YOUR patrol?" Jiraiya looked up from the notes he was going over with a look of intent concentration on his face. "All clear?"

Sakumo nodded, motioning for the others to sit down. "While we are not helping the citizens to rebuild, I'd like to start training our ninja and educating them as to the customs of Uzu. Should… anything _happen, _their history and the like shouldn't be forgotten.

"Yes, I was thinking a bit of the same thing. I'm interested in meet with the Uzumakis to learn about sealing. There aren't many left, but there are a few. Some of them are quite old so we'll have to move quickly to get all of the information we can from them."

Sakumo looked confused for a moment. "They'll just willingly give it away?"

"We're allies. Uzumakis don't see allies as a threat and would gladly share information if it meant we were stronger as a whole. It is how they are—in their blood you would say. From what I understand Naruto was like that."

Kakashi smiled and nodded. Gai and Genma were not present—they'd gone off to play in the hot springs while Kakashi was supposed to be working with his father. Working they were, indeed.

"I'm going to teach all of you the basics of sealing. We're going to be using that as a guise for our group. We'll be a group of secret seal masters under the name 'Tenko.'"

"Fire created by Lightning?" asked Kakashi, his voice slightly filled with awe. "I like it."

"I thought you might," smiled Jiraiya, his eyes curving joyfully at the approval. "Now, we're going to start with explosive tags. Now here," he pulled out an explosive note and tapped the center of it."Is the kanji for 'explode.' These other drawings and things here," now he gestured to the scribbles surrounding the baku kanji. "These are just pathways for the explosion. If not guided properly, the circuit doesn't complete and the chakra just fizzles out."

He then went through various incorrect methods of the seal, showing them precisely what didn't work and why. Kakashi was intrigued by the prospect of being able to alter the seals so that they would do just exactly what he wanted. But it wasn't the explosive tags he was thinking about, it was the one between his shoulder blades. He needed Jiraiya to look at it and study it but he wasn't sure he could get enough chakra into the seal to make it appear. Naruto truly had the largest chakra reserves he'd ever seen.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HEY! QUIT THAT, none 'til after the lesson," chided Yawaraka, smacking Kakashi's fingers as he reached for a cookie from the bowl sitting between them. Gai smiled with quiet pleasure while Genma opted to let out a wolf-like smattering of laughter that caused Kakashi to scowl out him.

Shaking his hand to relieve the stinging caused by his mother's slap, Kakashi sighed and tried to refocus on the lesson. "I know this is important but it's just _boring_," he whined, rubbing at his tired eyes. When Genma and Gai had gone to bed the previous night, he'd stayed up to read about Fuin theory some more. In the middle of that, Jiraiya had come to take him out to the water to practice his family jutsu, the Kasumi Kaben. He was hoping that there was some bizarre side-effect when Kakashi cast the jutsu but Kakashi could hardly cast it effectively let alone find a strange loophole to bend the jutsu to his own devices.

His mother looked at him, knowing full well what he'd been doing the night before and sharing his sympathy. However, she had to keep up appearances. "Very well. I understand that learning about the festivals of Uzu isn't exactly the funnest thing in the world when you don't get to attend them but perhaps I can help with that…"

"This," she whispered, her hands flickering through seals at a ridiculously fast pace, "is the Festival of Lights."

All around them they could see a street lit by lamps, fireworks going off in the sky. Small children ran to and fro with happiness in their eyes, sucking on popsicles occasionally as they flitted between the adults crowding the streets. Music played loudly the background, proud and strong. The fireworks began to twist and meld into spiraling whirlpools that began to froth and spit forth the shapes of humans.

"Why do we have this festival?" she inquired softly, pleased with herself for finding such an ingenious way to teach them history and culture. It was an environment based genjutsu which made it easier to show all of them at once.

"To honor the day that Whirlpool was established and the bond with Hi no Kuni," answered Kakashi, transfixed by the display of fireworks. Konoha had celebrations but nothing like _this._

They carried on in that fashion for the next few hours, learning about the Festivals of Night, Bijuu, and Warriors. There were many more festivals and traditions to be learned but one could only perform so many intensive genjutsus a day.

After that they carried on to basic Uzu sealing style—Genma and Gai were included in this. The spreading of knowledge from Uzu to Hi was very important because if Uzu were to parish someone would be able to reestablish it and continue on with the customs.

Around dinner time Jiraiya walked in, shoulders bogged down with weariness. "Kakashi I have to talk to you after dinner."

Genma and Gai exchanged glances, probably wondering what on earth Jiraiya was talking about. Jiraiya noticed the looks and immediately spoke up. "It's about his father. Something he was working on in training."

Gai and Genma nodded and smiled but Kakashi didn't trust their smiles. They were still curious. He'd have to remind Jiraiya to be more careful. Sometimes he felt like Jiraiya wanted them clued in. He didn't approve but then he was again even now he was the younger of the two and didn't have a say. Mental age didn't overrule physical capabilities. He was smart but this brain wasn't equipped to memorize every single detail as his other brain had been. He was still training himself but it was a slow process.

After dinner, Kakashi waited a while to go meet Jiraiya. He didn't want to look suspicious. He played cards with Genma and Gai for a while, laughing and making sure to appear at ease because in truth he was. It felt good to have friends again. The way Jiraiya had said they needed to talk nagged at the back of his mind but he tried not to think about it.

Eventually Gai pointed out that he had to go see Jiraiya and he flinched as though he'd forgotten and then chuckled sheepishly before jogging off to meet the white-haired pervert.

He didn't even think about the possibility of being followed.

"There ya are. Took ya long enough, dammit. Don't tell me you're already working on developing that lateness habit because I don't appreciate it," snapped Jiraiya, nibbling on his thumbnail. He was nervous.

"What's wrong?" asked Kakashi, his hands tucked behind his back and folded in a show of formality.

"We either tell Minato or Hiruzen. If we don't bring Minato in, Tenko will look suspicious for not having a near-master of sealing. On that token, if we bring him in that changes a lot of your plans. If we don't bring him in, we have to tell the Hokage which could muck a lot of things up as well."

Kakashi stared at the ground, crestfallen. He knew that letting Obito get hurt and be helped by Madara was the best option for Konoha but part of him still wanted to defy that and find another way to save his village. He hadn't ever been able to save his best friend and he regretted it all these years for not being a better friend. And Rin... maybe he could have really loved her. He loved Anko... he _had _loved Anko. This was different now, wasn't it? He had a chance with the girl who would've given her life for him in a heartbeat. But now... even if he wanted to take that chance would be taken away from him.

He gulped and tried to meet Jiraiya's eyes but couldn't make himself do it. He could feel the tears of frustration creeping up on him and he wished they'd just go away. "If we bring in Minato... I have next to no chance of saving Rin and Obito. They'll die..."

"I know," Jiraiya spoke gravely, his eyes soft and understanding. "I might not know how it feels to lose teammates but I know... that in time it will happen."

It was a dubious response to anyone who didn't understand the meaning, but Kakashi understood perfectly well. Jiraiya knew he'd lose Orochimaru. He just didn't know what to do about it. Yet.

Kakashi sucked in a shuddering breath and then nodded. "We tell Minato... and Nenshou. He needs to know. He was the one who led us when the Third Shinobi War occurred. He'll need to prepare."

A soft gasp from the doorway alerted Kakashi to the presence of Gai and Genma who'd been able to hide their presence until then. Jiraiya's expression turned from contemplative to murderous in mere milliseconds.

**Author's Note: Dun Dun Dun. A lot of things happened this chapter. I don't know HOW I'm updating so quickly so don't expect it to continue. Did you like it? I tried to make it a little bit longer for ya guys. :] Review please, you guys aren't giving me much feedback and with ALL that's happening I could use it. **


	12. Catching Fire

**Chapter Twelve: Catching Fire **

**"**I don't want you to hold me, I don't want you to pray. This is bigger than us." Bigger than Us by White Lies

GAI AND GENMA watched with wide, frightened eyes as Jiraiya paced back forth in front of them, his hands tucked behind his back in a gesture that indicated deep thought. His eyes burned into the ground as he stalked back and forth, a rut forming beneath his stormy footsteps. Kakashi eyed them with what could be considered a light glare, his fear roiling up in his stomach at the thought of them knowing his secret. They could be killed. Or worse—tortured until they gave up the information.

It eased his mind that he feared their emotional and physical well-being above his own thoughts on the anger he felt at the moment. It was so… unlike them. Then again, he supposed the Kakashi he was in this timeline was admittedly different from the one they knew before so for them to doubt his behavior might be acceptable. But spying on him? That was… low.

"Do you have any idea how incredibly stupid it is to spy on your own teammates? Your own _sensei_. If you can't trust your teammates who can you trust?" demanded Jiraiya. "This kind of shit will get you killed in the field. I'm disappointed in you. This isn't behavior fitting of Chunin." His words were somewhat cordial but the venomous manner in which he spit them out did little to comfort the two.

"I—we just wanted to know! We thought we could help!" Genma spoke quickly, his tongue fumbling with the words before dropping them past his lips. "I thought maybe then Kakashi could… chill out with us."

Kakashi gave the boy a strange look, his eyes widening a fraction before narrowing in confusion. "What you do mean?"

"You're fun to be around, Kakashi. I just… you're always busy and I thought maybe if we could find out what you were doing we could do it for you or _with _you. You don't seem to want to do stuff with us, like at _all._ But… here you went and hung out with us and it was fun. We just didn't want you to have to be by yourself all the time," rambled Genma, senbon waggling nervously at is lips.

Jiraiya's gaze softened as he intently looked from Gai to Genma. Gai had his head down, clearly ashamed of himself. The young prodigy was used to being the one in trouble. Jiraiya knew that the boy had been continually put with other geniuses and had often fallen behind. Genma was very adept atbeing a ninja but lacked motivation. Perhaps this was a chance to get the career Genma, the career Chunin, to step up and do something memorable and honorable for Konoha.

"How much did you hear?" he asked softly, his white hair falling around his face in angular peaks. Gai and Genma sat up a little bit straighter.

"I don't know how Obito and Rin are but we'll help them if you need us to."

"They're no one. You are to forget their names and ignore everything that you'd heard he tonight. This is bigger than you," commanded Jiraiya, his voice taking on the tone of a general or war leader who'd seen more than his fair share of death and destruction. "Sometimes the life of a ninja is knowing when to follow orders without question. You are not of a high enough clearance level—"

"Neither is Kakashi," pointed out Gai. The first words he'd uttered all night sounded raspy and uncharactistically serious for the young ninja. "He's the same clearance level as us."

"Not as far as I'm concerned. After his actions on the field and the way he protected the lot of you, I can trust him with certain details. He's not Jonin level in fighting skill but he has the mindset and the maturity of one. When you have reached that level—according to _my _standards, not Konoha's—then you can be a part of our discussions. I wouldn't be too interested anyway. We mostly just chatter about Icha-Icha."

Kakashi smiled lecherously beneath his mask, because that was true. "So what are you going to do with them for breaking code?"

"Oh I think I've got it covered," smirked Jiraiya. "Twenty laps around Uzu, then you'll spend the rest of the night doing squats and thrusts. Then tomorrow… you're on geriatric duty."

Gai frowned. "Geriatric? You mean… are we changing the diapers of Uzu's finest?"

Jiraiya frowned, suspicious of Gai's curious tone. "Possibly… why?"

"Yosh! I get to be in contact with the greatest has-beens of Uzushiogakure!" Gai jumped to his feet, pumping his fists up and down. "I can't believe it!"

"Neither can we…" muttered Kakashi, giving Jiraiya a confused look. With all of his spunk and strange positivity, Kakashi couldn't help but be reminded of Naruto at a young age. The thought brought a smile to his lips. Before he knew it, he was laughing out loud for all he was worth.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"KAKASHI-KUN! WE CAME to visit you!" Kakashi twirled around, the shrill voice calling out his name striking him as an impossibility. What on earth was she doing here? As far as he knew, she hadn't' even graduated from the academy yet. She still had another… three years.

"Anko-chan?" he called out wearily, suspecting a genjutsu of some kind from an enemy. It would have to be a high level genjutsu to pull memories from his own head to use them against him.

"No, we're really here, Kakashi-kun," hissed a voice from directly above his shoulder. Kakashi turned around slowly, knowing immediately that it was Orochimaru. "She desperately wanted to visit you and I had business with Jiraiya. Run along now…. Don't get into too much trouble."

He smiled at Kakashi, the first warm smile Kakashi had ever seen from the man. Kakashi felt a twinge from the seal, not a painful one but one of bizarre understanding. He could feel the warmth spreading through his skin as he came to the conclusion that in this moment, Orochimaru was a friend to Konoha. He didn't go bad until after he was snubbed for the position of Hokage.

Kakashi flinched when Anko grabbed his hand, immediately tugging him over toward the water. "Look what sensei taught me! He said I have to be careful with it so I don't catch stuff on fire, but look!"

She clumsily ran through seals, producing a small flame on her fingertip. "I can't believe it. But I don't know what to do with it so I usually just catch people's hair on fire when they're mean to me…"

Kakashi stared at her for a second before chuckling. "I can imagine you doing that… Who's mean to you anyway? I'll beat the shit out of 'em—"

Anko interrupted him by way of punching him in the arm—_hard_. "I can take care of myself! Orochi-sensei just wants me to pretend I don't have skill so I can graduate and make Chunin super quick. He says after I make Genin for real I'll actually be_ allowed _to accompany him on missions. Right now… I'm kind of not supposed to be here but he bent the rules for me."

"Really? Cool," said Kakashi, his eyes curving up in a smile. "I'm glad you visited; I haven't seen you in forever. I was almost starting to miss you…"

Anko punched him again, earning a loud laugh of surprise from him. "What!? I haven't seen you in _months _and you _almost _started to miss me! I shouldn't have even gotten you a present, you ungrateful little—"

"Wait! I didn't get you one… I left it at home."

"Oh I know."

Anko lifted the hem of her jacket up to show the mesh armor beneath her shirt. "See? Orochimaru thinks it's great! He said he was going to get me some anyway, but I liked the one you got me better."

Kakashi stared at her, dumbfounded. "How the hell did you get that? I hid that—"

"I kind of broke into your house and slept in your room. I hope you don't mind. But things at the home were getting a little rough and… I just wanted to feel safe so I went to your place."

"Oh, well… okay." Kakashi shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Hey so, you wanna meet my kaa-san? I found out she's not actually dead like I thought. She's been here, helping them rebuild. "

Anko nodded, but Kakashi could see the sad look in her face. They weren't the same anymore. Now he wasn't missing any parents but she still was. He shrugged off the feeling of discomfort and they went to meet Yawaraka. She fawned all over them as Anko presented her present to Kakashi in the living room of their quarters.

"Here, it took me forever to save up for it and Orochimaru sensei had to help me pay for it, but… It's a communication device. You channel chakra into it and we can talk if we're close enough. "

Kakashi smiled, having never seen anything like it. He might have to look into developing his own nicknacks like this.

"I'll let you two have a discussion on your… _own_," teased Yawaraka, gleefully skipping out of the room. Kakashi could hear the floorboards shift slightly as she stopped just outside the doorway.

"All the way, kaa-san. Shoo! I love you but this is _private_," he growled, stressing the need for a chance to just be a kid. He couldn't act like a kid if she kept throwing around innuendos when he wasn't even old enough to be attracted in more than a mildly interested way. He'd have felt disgusting for liking a child anyway, regardless of the age of his own body.

Anko giggled mirthfully, allowing herself to enjoy the moment. "Go on, put it on!"

Kakakshi smiled softly, though she couldn't see it through the mask. He fastened the chain around his wrist so it would stay. He channeled chakra into it, smirking when he felt a warm glow spread through his wrist.

"You don't talk, you use morse code," she explained, sending chakra through her own device in spurts.

"You want dog to park the tree? That doesn't really make sense," mocked Kakashi, knowing full well that she'd signed her message appropriately. When she raged out and punched him in the shoulder, he simply laughed. "Maa, maa, I'm just kidding. I'm glad you're here, too!"

Anko smiled shyly and suddenly Kakashi felt uncomfortable. He signed to her that he had to go train with his father and then disappeared using a Kawarimi. He watched from a distance as she stared at the spot where he had been, a frown framing her lips as her shoulders sagged. He couldn't handle that right now.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"KAA-SAN, YOU'VE GOT to stop setting me up like that," sighed Kakashi, holding his head in his hands. "I can't deal with that right now."

Yawaraka frowned and sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around him. "Gomen, Kakashi-kun, I didn't think anything would happen… What wrong?"

"She likes me and I can't like her back. Not while she's a kid. Not when Rin… I know she's going to die but I feel that if… If I'm put on a team with her again that I have a…. responsibility to give her at least an ounce of happiness before she goes." Kakashi didn't lift his eyes from the floor, but he could feel tell his mother was frowning.

"Sweetie, you can't save everyone. It's not possible. You already saved me as far as I know. I died last time didn't I? _Any _moment we share together is precious, right? So we must make the best of it and do what is best for _everyone_. You keep forgetting that you're a person and you deserve happiness, too."

Kakashi lifted his eyes to her face, pulling down his mask so that she could see the soft smile he was bearing. "Thanks."

"You know I'm here if you ever ne—"

"I can't believe you brought a _child _with you to a warzone!" Kakashi knew it was Jiraiya. The scream of rage was followed by a loud crash as something was destroyed.

His mother blanched and then facepalmed. "I hope the housekeeping removed the antiques and replaced them with imitations."

Kakashi snickered as he grabbed his mom's wrist with one hand and readjusted his mask with the other. "He's mad about Anko."

"He should be," replied Yawarake. Kakashi froze and turned around in surprise.

"I thought you were okay with that?"

"I'm not. She shouldn't be here . She makes you happy so I allowed you two to be together for a while, but she could be killed here." Kakashi paled at the thought of losing her again and resolutely shook his head.

"No she won't. I'll protect her."

"Jiraiya, you've brought your own team here as well. I know my student. She's more than capable of caring for herself!" Orochimaru's voice sounded slightly strangled.

Yawaraka sighed, humor lifting the sound slightly. "We'd better step in before they kill each other… or _worse. _Destroy one of the few remaining establishments in Uzushio."

Kakashi chuckled and slipped his hand properly into hers as they walked the short distance into the other room.

"Now, _really_, Jiraiya! Killing me isn't going to make her any more safe! You're being counterproductive!" hissed Orochimaru. Kakashi arrived in time to see Jiraiya, both hands around Jiraiya's now slightly-elongated neck. Orochimaru looked about as pale as he had in the future after he'd started his crazy experiments.

Yawaraka spoke up before Kakashi could even formulate an _idea _of what to say. "From what Kakashi tells me they are only to be here for two weeks. She can train with Kakashi and me; I can teach her some of the Uzu Taijutsu. She can also learn some of the more feminine customs. I don't think I'll ever get the chance to teach someone these things as though they were my own daughter, you know."

Jiraiya paused and then relented. He released Orochimaru and gave him a sour look. "If an innocent little girl gets hurt this is on _you_."

Orochimaru smiled at Yawaraka; it was surprisingly warm and appreciative. Had Orochimaru really only gone insane after being rejected the title of Hokage? If not, it was a very convincing cover. Kakashi couldn't help but be intrigued by the thought of trying to keep Orochimaru as an ally. He'd need to ask Jiraiya about it before he ruled it out as lunacy.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

INOICHI SIGHED AS Shikaku did exercise after exercise, try to force his body to become stronger. "Already? You're training already? It's only four in the morning. I thought _I _was getting a jumpstart on things!"

Shikaku grunted and lowered his feet back to the floor. He'd been doing pushups while performing a handstand. He needed to get stronger if he was going to protect his son. "I have to protect my family. Family is family, regardless of whether or not they've been born yet."

"Hmm… Well, you're the genius. Being strong is well and good but… we need strategy. You're the best goddamn strategist out there. If anyone can find a way around all of this it's _you_._"_

"Aa, let's get started."

Shikaku calmly stretched out his arms and sat down at the table in the underground barracks that they had been quartered in. "I have the materials and means to figure this out but I need your help to encode and work it out so that no one will be able to decode this. I'll also need you to go through the details of Kakashi's memories very carefully… Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I stored the earliest ones so that we can start changing things. I promised I'd help him plan things as well. We can start strategizing now and then fill him in later."

Shikaku nodded and accepted the hand that Inoichi held out to him. He sucked in his breath as he was hit with a memory of a sad Kakashi, staring at the Memory Wall. He'd replaced all of his items with belongings of his father. Strange.

"Past this, I don't need to see this." Shikaku grimaced, not wanting to intrude further upon Kakashi than he already had to. He knew that Inoichi had already seen _all _of it—far more than he'd ever wanted to—but Inoichi couldn't take it back. All he could do was share it with Shikaku and hope that they'd be able to make some good plans out of it.

Shikaku told him to stop when they got to a point where Obito and Rin were put on Kakashi's team at the age of nine. "We need to make sure they get together on a team. That means he can't stay here for _too _much longer. But we need to get him trained up to his fullest potential by the spring or he won't stand a chance of defending his team. With all the things that have changed... his name is spreading already."

Inoichi paused as he jotted something down in nonsense code that only he would understand. It would be better if he and Shikaku used their own decoding systems rather than a similar one because if their notes were found it would take a lot longer to crack them. That meant they'd have time to retrieve them. He circled something else before he looked up to see his friend's features set in a grave mask of worry. "What's wrong?"

"I think that things are going to get worse here. In Uzu, I mean... This fighting has been intense but it's been nothing compared to the kinds of fighting that would wipe out an entire Hidden Village and Country. If my hunch is correct... we'll be facing both Kumo and Iwa ninja. They're allied... and Iwa is beginning to falter. So Kumo will most assuredly come in with reinforcements. Uzushiogakure appears weak."

Inoichi frowned and withdrew his left hand from Shikaku's. "Hmm..." he formed his mind-transfer seal, out of nervous habit, and began to collect his chakra as he thought. Chakra swarmed the folds of his brain, allowing him to think at a higher capacity than usual. It was another clan technique that he was glad his father had taken the time to teach him. "We warn Jiraiya and immediately begin strategizing. We need to appear weak but bolster reinforcements... How do we do that?"

Shikaku smiled and grabbed Inoichi's hand. "Go back over the people and geography. I'm sure we'll be able to think of something. "

Inoichi grinned and began to systematically go through the weakest villagers and then work his way up to the strong ones. They could store the weak villagers, those who weren't ninja, deep in the tunnels created by the surviving ninja of Uzushio. Those who were strong enough to fight but weren't necessarily skilled—strong civilians or weak Genin—would stay down there to protect he weak in the event that any foreign ninja made it down there.

Stronger Genin would be patrol the mouths of the caves and the tunnels, but deeper inside so that they could surprise enemy ninja. Shikako reasoned that they should be taught Moguragakure no Jutsu, or Hiding Like a Mole Jutsu, so that they could stay hidden up until the moment of the attack. It was worth a try to teach it to the weak Genin who were protecting the civilians because it was only a D-Rank jutsu, but whether or not they could do it was another thing entirely.

The strongest of the Genin and the lower level Chunin would be placed deeper inside the above-ground city. They were to protect the city's most honorable buildings—the artifacts and valuable information were already being moved deep underground in a location far-off from where the underground village was. In the event that Uzushiogakure would fall, the secrets would be protected.

When the two reached this point, they decided it was time to get Jiraiya and even Orochimaru. At this point, it seemed that Orochimaru was still completely for protecting Konoha and any allies of Konoha. Shikaku and Inoichi couldn't help but be slightly weary of the man after seeing what he'd done to himself and his subordinates in the future, but they had no choice.

"Let's ask tonight, after dinner. We can afford to wait until then. I think we have at least a week or two before they launch the attack. That should give us enough time to properly organize tonight. I might be a genius but Jiraiya has experience, especially against Iwa ninja."

Inoichi nodded, rolling up his notes. He spread out a small scroll of sealing and then stored his notes and rolled up the scroll, tucking it deep inside the folds of his shirt. No one would get it out of there without his noticing. Shikaku gave him a weary grin and did the same.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"IS THAT ALL you got, old man?" jeered Sakumo, laughing when Jiraiya missed his face by a wide margin. He ducked underneath the palm, crouching low so he could jab upwards at Jiraiya's chest with his open palm. He didn't know Jyuuken, but he could still enhance his hand with chakra to send Jiraiya flying. It was a lot easier on the wrists to use an open palm.

Jiraiya easily moved around the strike, flipping over Sakumo with apparent ease. "You can't take me down that easy, you inferior pervert! I'm just getting started!"  
Sakumo chuckled, then let out a panicked breath as he dropped low to avoid a roundhouse kick. Jiraya's geta sandal narrowly avoiding his nose, only barely knicking a few stray strands of hair. Jiraiya smirked and then spun again, swooping low with an outstretched leg. Sakumo jumped over the leg, arching into a back-flip with the motion. He landed on his palms, flipped over again, and then landed on his feet.

Collecting his chakra, he flung a kunai at Jiraiya. He smirked when Jiraiya leaped up into the air to avoid it rather than moving to one side or the other. That worked out better for him. He performed a quick Kawarimi, timing it perfectly so that he landed just beneath Jiraiya. He slammed massive amounts of chakra into his legs so that he could force himself upwards rather than forward as the trajectory of the kunai had been.

His fist connected solidly with Jiraiya's chin, sending the man into a back-flip. Jiraiya landed easily enough, a grin still on his fact. The red lines on cheek were pulled to the sides, showing that his smile was truly one of enjoyment rather than one indicative of a farce.

"Don't make me whip out the ninjutsu, boy," he warned, his voice lilting with humor. "You won't win."

"Lucky for you we're not using kenjutsu, then, isn't it? Because then I'd win for sure," chided Sakumo. He snickered when Jiraiya's eyebrow twitched.

Jiraiya stomped his foot in anger. "That's not fair! I haven't used a sword in years! I would still school your ass even if you had a sword and I didn't!"

"That so?" Sakumo laughed and drew his sword. "So be it. No chakra enhancement on my part. Just you, me, and my baby."

Jiraiya laughed and nodded in agreement. With speed Sakumo hadn't anticipated, he charged at his opponent, arm back to sling one hell of a punch. Sakumo ran forward at Jiraiya, leaping over him with a wild laugh. He continued to run as he pulled out his tanto. When he felt it was appropriate, he leaped into the air, twisting around so that he'd land facing in Jiraiya's direction.

"I cannot believe you just did that. You wuss! Who jumps over someone charging at them?" snapped Jiraiya, disbelief in his voice.

"The smart one who doesn't want punched by a legendary Sennin!" snickered Sakumo, charging at the older man as he did so. Jiraiya growled. When Sakumo got close enough to make a jab, he leaned around it in a manner very similar to the Uzu Taijutsu style that Yawaraka had been teaching his Genin. With a sharp fist-jab to the ribs, he put Sakumo on the defensive.

Jiraiya rapidly bent backwards, kicking his feet up even as his palms touched down onto the ground. The rapid kicks to Sakumo's chest sent him stumbling. Jiraiya pushed off of his hands, launching himself in a half-somersault forward so that he was standing on his feet again. Sakumo grunted as he righted himself, sword at the ready. Before he could move Jiraya was behind him, kunai at his throat.

Sakumo would've sworn that Jiraiya had Shunshin'd if not for the fact that there had been no flare of chakra.

"Checkmate," hissed Jiraiya, amusement dripping from his voice.

"Aa, good spar, Jiraiya," panted Sakumo, conceding defeat. "You oughta spar with Kakashi like this to see where he's at."

Jiraiya laughed and the plopped down on the ground to drink some water. "Perhaps. I have a bit of a good feeling though, which means things are about to turn to shit. I know it."

Sakumo sighed and sat down next to him. "I hope not. If I lose anyone close to me... I'll lose it. Hell, I'll lose it if I even _think_ they might get hurt."

"Hell hath no fury like a pissed-off Hatake," mused Jiraiya, giving Sakumo an appraising look. Sakumo smiled and used a kunai to clean out the dirt from beneath his fingernails.

The white-haired ninja sat together in silence for a while before heading back inside for dinner. Nothing worked up an appetite like a good spar.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

THEY ANNOUNCED THEIR worry during dinner, rather than after. With careful precision the two friends explained to Jiraiya and the rest of the ninja that they felt there was an attack coming soon and a large one at that. Jiraiya took the news with a somber attitude. He was serious.

When they spoke of their plans involving the civilians and the weak Genin, Jiraiya actually smiled.

"You two will be the best strategists in Konoha by the time you make Jonin. You thought of all of this by this morning?"

"After lunch, actually... we went through the entire village and listed the weakest civilians based on the roster we snagged upon arrival. We already have a list of the strong civilians and weak Genin to recruit for protection deep in the tunnels as well as the stronger Genin who will be protecting the mouths of the tunnels. We can post a high Chunin in the area in the event of anything nasty happening." Inoichi spoke in calm tones, though his voice had an air of excitement to it. He was proud of the work that they had done.

"Why didn't you guys tell me about this?" demanded Choza through a mouthful of food. He was deeply hurt.

"It just came up and we had to start planning for it, Cho. It's nothing personal..." apologized Inoichi, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"We also think that high Genin and low level Chunin could be placed in the areas of great important to Uzushiogakure. Certain buildings and the like that need protected. The rest of the artifacts and important information of Uzushio is already being moved so that shouldn't be an issue. We will need to teach all of the ninja who can learn it the Moguragakure no Jutsu, so that they can have the element of surprise. Only a chakra sensor type would be able to find them if they could do it appropriately and that would give them a big benefit."

"I think that's a good plan," admitted Yawaraka, nodding in agreement.

Jiraiya nodded, hand on his chin. Kakashi sat silently as he watched the exchange, a sense of prie swelling in his chest. He knew that having them onboard was the right thing. He could forgive the intrusion up on his mind completely because now he knew that he could trust the younger version of his old best-friends. It was hard to trust someone when you weren't sure of their maturity level.

"What of the high level Chunin and Jonin? We need to place them at points around the city and have—"

"What about me?" interrupted Anko. Kakashi flinched, having honestly forgotten about her. Orochimaru had been stone silent as well. "Where will I be fighting?"

Jiraiya paled and immediately shook his head 'no.' "You won't be fighting. You'll be with the civilians if they attack before you leave."

"No way! Put me with Kakashi! I can take whatever he can!"

Kakashi reddened in both embarrassment and worry. There was no way she'd last in the same position as him.

"Before we leave? Jiraiya, I'm staying. She's stronger than you think. Putting her there is a good decision, but I'm not leaving. It's my duty to Konoha and to you to stay and fight! I'm a Sennin, too, dammit! What is your problem? I know we fight but you've been ridiculous since I arrived here." Orochimaru's cheeks were actually reddening with anger. "She is my pupil and if I say she's strong enough, she's strong enough. I wouldn't endanger her life on a whim."

"No, not a whim," snapped Jiraiya. Then he sighed, visibly trying to calm himself. "Look, I'm sorry for being a jerk but this is all very stressful. This was not the mission we signed up for but it's the mission we ended up getting. I'm just trying to carry out orders with the least amount of casualties possible."

"Which will work out great for you if you just let me help! Together we have the best possible summons for this!"

Orochimaru had a point there.

Sakumo calmly sat up a little straighter and raised his hand. "If I may? I believe my summons would be appropriate as well. If we all calm down, plan together, and work things out this will be a lot smoother. If you need a chance to calm down then take the time to calm down. Jiraiya, where will your team be?"

"They'll be towards the front of the village. They're mostly low Chunin level but they can fight like no one's business."

Genma and Gai smiled widely while Kakashi simply ducked his head. He didn't enjoy taking lives but he did enjoy fighting. It made him feel almost like himself again.

"Yeah, you can't forget—Kakashi's already in a bingo book!" jeered Genma, laughing wildly.

"He _is_?" asked Anko, awestruck. "Wow!"

"Yeah! They call him the White Skipper! Buahahah!" Genma laughed, handing Anko the paper before Kakashi could snatch it out of his hands.

Anko laughed and laughed, her wild giggles stretching to Sakumo, Yawaraka, Jiraiya, and even Orochimaru. Soon the entire room was laughing but Kakashi tried not to mind. At least the mood was lightened and they could get back to work...

When the torment didn't stop, he couldn't help it and his anger spiked. His chakra flared and he shocked everyone at the table with a small jolt of lightning. After all, a pissed-off Hatake was a pissed-off Hatake.

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry it's short. Next chapter will be more epic. How 'd you like the spar between Jiraiya an Sakumo? And the planning with Inoichi and Shikaku? Let me know, folks! :D **

**Lauren**

**P.S. Do we think Orochimaru has the potential to stay a good guy? Let me know and you'll influence what happens in the story cuz I can't decideee.**


	13. Spiritual Fire

**Chapter Thirteen: Spiritual Fire**

"And if I only could, make a deal with God and get him to swap our places. Be running up that road, running up that hill, with no problems." Running up That Hill by Placebo

* * *

"CHECK THESE OUT, Kashi!" squealed Anko, flinging a pair of snakes at him. They intelligently wrapped around his arms to prevent themselves from falling to the ground. The one wrapped around his right arm regarded him with intelligent eyes before sticking its tongue out and hissing.

"You smell like wheat and sandalwood," it informed, the s's coming out in extended hisses. Kakashi smiled, unperturbed by the snake's talking to him. He had actually grown quite fond of them in his own time. He lifted his snake-laden left hand to gently rub the snake between the eyes, laughing when it hissed with pleasure.

"Thanks!" he giggled, turning to Anko. She stared at him in surprise.

Anko tilted her head to the side, looking at him thoughtfully. "Ya know, people usually run when I do that. You're weird."

"You're weird for trying to scare away your best friend," pointed out Kakashi, his smile concealed by his mask but evident in his voice. He whistled long and hard, letting out a soft sigh of satisfaction when a few dogs appeared out of the brush near the edge of the clearing, running at full speed. One leapt, made impact with his chest, and sent him stumbling. He carefully held up his hands so as to not injure his passengers, laughing when the dog knocked him onto his back and began licking his face.

"Would you guys quit goofing around?" whined Choza, his eyes dark with moodiness. "We're supposed to training."

Kakashi sighed and disentangled himself from the dogs, sending them off to play with Anko who giggled and happily accepted them. The snakes on his arms twisted and wormed their way up so that they were perched on his shoulders, their tails wrapped down his back and around to either side so that they could remain upright. "Are you hungry, Choza? You seem a bit... agitated."

Choza guiltily nodded his head and hastily apologized for being so crass. "I just can't help it. My family jutsu requires so much energy to use and if I don't get the proper nourishment... I can't use it to the full effectiveness!"

The younger boy squatted down on the ground, pulled a handful of seeds from his pockets and quickly slashed at the ground with a kunai so that he could bury them. Kakashi grinned and put his hands together, running through five seals. In order they were Ushi, U, Tatsu, Ne, and Mi. "Ainokesshou," he whispered, eyes narrowed in concentration. It required a combination or both Doton and Raiton jutsu. The cells were charged and more quickly replicated by the electrical impulses and the earth was encouraged to nourish and coax the jutsu to work on the seeds.

Choza gasped as the seeds began to sprout and grow before his very eyes. When the plants began to sprout fruit, he grabbed one with a huff of excitement and bit into it. He yelped in surprised as juice began to run down his chin; it was real fruit not just an illusion as he'd suspected. pro

"Kakashi! How—"

"Hey I come from a long line of farmers. Family jutsu rocks. Don't ever be ashamed of it!" Kakashi inwardly grimaced, realizing that Naruto's 'must-cheer-on-all-allies' attitude was rubbing off on him.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HOW THE HELL did he beat me?" whispered Shikaku, staring at the Shogi board. He looked at the small, squared off pieces and then back at Kakashi in wonderment.

"I currently have more battle experience than you. Shogi isn't exactly like a real battle but it does give you strategizing experience. Don't worry. You'll start beating me in a year or two. Or sooner, rather, because knowing you you'll analyze every move I've made and find out my strategic styles and methods and try to beat me next time." Kakashi finished his reasoning with a short laugh and then he put his hands behind his head. "It's all a matter of surprise. Which I seemed to have on you today."

"Hmm… Your IQ is off the charts, Kakashi. If you're so smart how can you have made so many bad decisions when playing?"

Kakashi shrugged, using a kunai to clear some dirt from beneath a fingernail. "Nerves. I have a lot of my mind. I'm worried about this invasion. I'll need to be on the front lines so I can keep them from getting back to where my family is. I don't want to be caught trying to protect people because that makes me an easy target. I had to do that when fighting with Gai and Genma when we first ambushed and I almost didn't do a good enough job."

"Good enough job? You almost got killed, kid!" Inochi stared at him in exasperation. "I mean, come on, I know you're good. But, please. You have to be more careful about yourself. If you die we lose our connection to changing the future."

Kakashi stared at the Shogi board, shame rising in a burning pink blaze upon his cheeks. He was right. If he died… then what?

"Is there anyway to separate Naruto's personality from me? I don't… I don't _want _him to go because I feel like life won't be the same without him up there but when he's born… could we transfer his mind into his body?"

"Hmm… It might actually be possible. We'll have to look into after we get Minato and Kushina on board."

Kakashi looked up in surprise. "Kushina?"

"Well, it makes sense. She is the container at the moment. She has the right to know what her son is getting into as well. I can take her inside your mind again to show her that he's fully aware of what will happen," pointed out Shikaku, his unscarred face filled with reasoning and compassion.

Kakashi nodded and then sighed, remembering how devastated Minato had been when she'd passed. It wrenched at his conscience until he had to get up out of his kneeling position and walk around a bit.

"I wonder where Choza is…" mumbled Inoichi, pulling out the string that held up his hair so he could readjust his ponytail. "He's been gone for a while."

"He's… sleeping in one of the tunnels right now." Kakashi grinned having stretched out his chakra so that he could find Choza. It had been surprisingly easy.

"…How did you find him? That's like over a mile away. Your chakra senses are good but…" Shikaku stared at him with a pointed look as though he were waiting for Kakashi to spontaneously combust

"Hmm. Well he ate a lot of the Ainokesshou, so…"

"Fruit of love? What the hell is that?" demanded Inoichi, his face riddled with confusion. He yanked a little too hard on his hair and grimaced.

"Yeah it's a jutsu my papa taught me. You just plant the seeds and then use the jutsu and they blossom and then grow fruit. It's a family jutsu." Kakashi could help the edge of pride that overtook his voice.

Inoichi and Shikaku rolled their eyes. "Geez kid," grouched Inoichi, "You're just full of new tricks time around, aren't you?"

Kakashi could only giggle in response because it was true.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI DROPPED TO the ground as quickly as his body would allow, panting as his mother's leg neatly swept through the space his face had occupied only seconds ago. He'd complained that she was taking it easy on him and now she was literally attempting to beat him to a pulp.

Her fists flew at him, quickly and smoothly as she perfectly employed the Uzu Taijutsu style. Yawaraka grinned when she connected with Kakashi's cheek, the force behind the punch sending him tumbling, head-over-heels.

"Still think I'm taking it easy on you?" she jeered, a playful lilt lifting her voice. Kakashi grunted as he rolled onto his hands and knees. He glared at her as he tried to push himself to his feet. His muscles didn't want to let him and he was half-tempted to fall to the ground and give in. He knew, however, that the entire future of his village was depending on him. He needed to get stronger, to push himself.

"Yeah. I know you can hit at least three times as hard as that. Tu-san was telling me last night how you to out a whole squad of ten Chunin out by yourself one time with only your taijutsu." Kakashi hissed as he lurched to his feet, but he quashed the desire to collapse back to the ground and readied his fists. One was held out with a relaxed, straight arm, lifting up in a gentle "stop" gesture. The other was held low by the waist, palm turned up as though he was cupping an egg.

His mother adopted the same pose, bending her back leg and leaning onto it so her other leg was free to be poised and ready to dodging or attacking. Kakashi watched with staunch appreciation as she twisted half to the left, pushing off of her back leg so that she could leap into the air.

She landed next to him with a grace he was sure he'd never accomplish so well and then immediately began to assault him. Wave after wave of quick jabs and wide, sweeping punches that employed the use of the side of her fist, yet he avoided them all. He ducked low and wide, not allowing himself to use his arms to block the blows as he would have before. .

In this style, you flowed around the opponent and blocked with your own movement. It helped you to be predict the opponent motions and allowed the user to refrain from blocking a potentially bone-shattering blow.

"You're slowing down, Kakashi," she warned, allowing her fist to painfully graze against his cheek to emphasize the point. He grunted in acknowledgement, lifting his hands again to go on the offensive. She easily dodged both the jab to the ribs and the quick roundhouse kick aimed at her shoulder. She grabbed onto his ankle, using his weight against him. She lifted him into the air with strength unexpected of a woman and slammed him down into the ground.

He lay there, winded, as he waited for the air to reenter his lungs. Kakashi stared at her with approving eyes until the pain passed and he could breathe again. He sat up slowly, accepting the hand that she offered him. "Thanks, Kaa-san."

"Always, _shinme._"

"Oh not you, too!" he groaned. He smiled though and she could hear the amusement in his voice. "First that and now the whole White Skipper thing… I'll never get past that."

"Oh, well, they updated your name in the bingo book." Yawaraka laughed and produced another paper. "Now you're called the 'Frog Prince' because you're always leaping everywhere and Jiraiya is your teacher."

"_What!?" _cried Kakashi, snatching the paper out of her hands. He burst out laughing when he read the 'Gotcha' scrolled in hasty lines. "Ouch, that's cruel, mother."

She chuckled merrily and patted him on the back. When a passing servant gave her a dark look, warning her to be presentable in public she automatically deflated and gave Kakashi a weak, apologetic smile.

Kakashi glared at the servant, inflicting just enough killing intent to warn the servant to leave, _now._

"I wish you wouldn't have done that, Kakashi. It's my job to be—"

"Your job is to be my mother. My job is to protect you when you can't protect yourself. I carry my mission with pride." Kakashi held a hand to his heart, mocking the old warriors code of helping damsels in distress.

Yawaraka smiled and pulled him close in a one-armed hug. It hurt the both of them, for they were both sore, but neither cared too much. It felt good to finally be in the presence of one another after all of the years of simply_ not knowing. _Kakashi wrapped his own arm around his mother's waist and squeezed, knowing that if anything ever happened to any of his family he'd never be the same.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

JIRAIYA GLARED AT his hands, wishing he didn't have to start the conversation. Orochimaru uncomfortably licked his lips as they watched Anko and Kakashi spar. Kakashi was obviously taking it easy on Anko even though she was giving it her all. She didn't get discouraged, only more determined.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you about bringing her here," apologized Jiraiya, ducking his head to avoid the curious look that he knew Orochimaru would give him. "I know… I know you'd never let your students… be _hurt._"

Orochimaru cleared his throat, feeling awkward. "I… I know you didn't mean it."

"I just… It's not good here, Orochimaru. I'd give my life to protect my pupils and I… I mean, who wouldn't? Life is not just living; it's loving and being loved, you know? You can't do that alone." Jiraiya turned to give Orochimaru a meaningful look. "You're my best friend. I just want you to be careful. If you don't make wise decisions… I'm afraid you'll drive yourself to a dark place, Orochimaru. You can't keep doing this to yourself. You put yourself in risky situations just so you can prove to yourself that you're better than before."

Orochimaru's shoulders sagged and he scuffed the ground with the tip of his ninja sandals. "I know…" Purple eyes narrowed in pain and confusion. "Why are you saying this to me? Why now?"

Jiraiya laughed a humorless laugh and laced his fingers together behind his head. "Why not? If we're attacked like it looks like we're going to be… one of us could very easily die. We're the strongest. It's our duty to protect our comrades."

"You can't possibly think that you might die!" protested Orochimaru, a sound of panic edging into his voice. "That's not possible. Even if we were outnumbered and everyone else was dead—"

"That's the point that you're missing. They can't die. I've lived already. I'm a Sennin… These students of ours will go on to do great things. I would willingly give my life to ensure their safety." Jiraiya sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Wouldn't you? I mean look at them. Such potential. At least one of them will hit Jonin by the time they're hitting puberty. I've finally… I've finally found a family. You're part of that, and I don't ever want to lose you. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a brother."

Orochimaru laughed and it sounded like a low hiss. "Brother? I treat you like shit, you idiot. What kind of brother does that?"

"You."

Orochimaru snickered again, his mood lifted. He softened suddenly and grabbed Jiraiya by the arm. "Do you really mean what you said?"

"All of it."

"Interesting. You're either a better man than I or you're an idiot."

"You wouldn't die for someone else?"

Orochimaru's chest heaved with a tired sigh. "One person, maybe. But I've grown tired of losing people. I'm trying to find a way to see to it that I never lose anyone again. I've tried shoving everyone away but you idiots just refuse to leave me be. So I have to make sure that I never die and put you through the pain of it."

Jiraiya snickered darkly. "Selfish bastard. You realize there's a fault to your plan, right?" Orochimaru stared at him in confusion. "If you die, we lose you and we grieve. If we die, you grieve alone… Times like this make me miss Tsunade's brute strength. Then we'd be set to fight these idiots."

Orochimaru fell silent a faraway look on his face. He turned the kunai in his hand over and over until he sighed softly and shrugged. "Times like this make me miss _her_. I just wish things… hadn't happened that way. I'm not sorry for a lot of things I do, but… if she knew how much I regretted it she'd only feel worse because I know she can't let it go. Things aren't the same."

"No, they're not… She's not been back to Konoha in a long time. She's still terrified of blood…I'm afraid for her, too. It sickens me that I'm the most emotionally stable of all of us because frankly I'm a wreck. You two need help. Killing to vent your frustration is all well and good, but… it doesn't fix things."

"Don't tell me how to have fun, Jiraiya," joked Orochimaru, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Orochimaru might have seemed strange for being so open about his love of fighting and extremes, but Jiraiya could appreciate that about him. Honesty was not something that their friendship lacked.

Jiraiya smiled and punched him in the arm, eliciting an irritated scoff. "There's the Orochimaru I know. Now all we need is Tsunade. I think we need to locate her and ram it down her throat that life doesn't end just because—"

"I think you have something else you'd rather—"

"Oi! She's my teammate! Nothing more!"

Orochimaru smiled slyly and gave Jiraiya a pointed look. "I know you. We haven't been official teammates in years and I've seen the way you look at her."

Jiraiya reddened so deeply that the lines on his face disappeared. "Now you listen here—"

"Alright, alright. When are we going to get her?"

"After we're done here. I'm bringing Kakashi. He's quite persuasive for a nine year old."

"Cute kids have a way of getting what they want," agreed Orochimaru, resting a hand thoughtfully on his chin. "We could always henge into children and beg her."

"I think she'd prefer half-naked men to children, personally, but I look better full nude, so that's out."

Orochimaru rolled his eyes and then screeched when he saw the kunai flying towards his face. He lurched to the side to avoid it and just after it whizzed by he righted himself, eyes blazing with fury. "Watch it! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Watch our spar and stop talking about getting laid, dammit!" snapped Anko, stomping her foot for emphasis. Kakashi burst out into a fit of laughter that shook his whole frame

Jiraiya gave Orochimaru a side-long look that clearly read 'are-you-serious-right-now?' "She knows about sex already?"

Orochimaru's skin darkened a shade. "She found one of your books that I had setting out when she came over to pick up the kunai I'd had special-made for her… I left to get her something to drink and the little cretin started roaming around and touching my things."

"Ah, it seems that's been happening a lot lately. Guess my books are more popular than I thought… I'm educating Konoha's youth about the wonders of the female body!"

Everyone facepalmed while Jiraiya giddily began to sing and dance to his super-pervert tune. Kakashi couldn't help the giggles that erupted when he lifted his face to stare at his sensei. It was just too much to handle.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

THE ATTACK CAME in the middle of the next day, long before preparations had been fully made. Kakashi had sensed them before he was able to see them. His mother had been too busy teaching Anko how to fight using the Uzu style taijutsu to even bother to pay attention. That had been his job, but he'd not made an effort because he thought he had more time 'til they'd even think of attacking.

"Why must they always show up when I'm busy?" he groaned, neatly ducking underneath an inexperienced ninja's arm and stabbing him in the armpit. When the blood began to spray from the severed axillary artery he closed his eyes. The blood coated his face and left red flecks of liquid life in his hair.

"Protect Anko, Kakashi!" ordered Yawaraka, spinning and deflecting blows from multiple ninja with ease. She enhanced her fist with chakra and moved forward, then stepped back. Each time she moved forward to take a hit, she'd follow it up with a step back. She'd twist her arm around to strike at the ninja behind her and then forward again to take out the one that had replaced the other ninja. Then she'd go in another direction, keeping all of her motions fluid and precise. Not a single motion was wasted.

Kakashi grunted in frustration, narrowly dodging a well-placed kick to the throat. "What do you think I'm doing!?"

"Shut the hell up, you jerks! I can't fight!" growled Anko, leaping onto the back of an enemy ninja and making to slit his throat. She paused, for just a second. It wasn't long, but it was enough. The ninja grabbed her by the hair and yanked her over his head. With ease he flung her away from him and at a tree close by.

Kakashi washed in horror as her body crunched against the tree and she fell to the ground, limp and listless. "No!"  
In the time-span of a heartbeat he managed to Kawarimi over to the man who'd hurt her. He threw his arm back for a punch, performed a seal-less Kawarimi yet again so that he was behind the man. His fist connected with the back of the man's head, causing him to cry out in both rage and pain.

"She hesitated. I won't," growled Kakashi, grabbing for his tanto only to find that it wasn't there. He swore when he realized he'd left it in his room because they were going to be doing taijutsu training. Thinking quickly he grabbed a kunai. His momentary hesitation gave the enemy ninja enough time to spin around and shove his kunai deep into Kakashi's side. Kakashi gasped in pain, but pushed through it. He forced himself to jump up and cleanly slit the taller man's throat.

"Kakashi!" Yawaraka jumped to his aid the moment he crumpled to the ground. "No, no, no! You _idiot_!"

Kakashi could see the tears forming in her eyes as she hastily assessed the wound to determine whether or not removing the kunai would cause more damage. "I'm sorry… I had to protect Anko."  
"You don't take on a Jonin, you pretentious little twerp!" she snapped in exasperation, removing the kunai with an efficient yank. The sounds of war were fading away and her voice was loud in Kakashi's ears.

"A Jonin? I didn't pay attention. Anko jumped on his back and attempted to slit his thr—AH!" Kakashi gasped when she sprinkled powder into the gash. "What the hell is that?"

"Special healing salts…" she whispered, smearing another salve on top of the wound. When it began to burn and seer into his side, Kakashi began to squirm, senselessly trying to evade the sensation. "Be still," she whispered, pulling her hands together to go through a long chain of handseals that Kakashi couldn't quite see from his position cradled against her side.

Seals completed, Yawaraka turned to instruct a few water clones to circle around them and protect them. One clone retrieved Anko and settled her down next to Kakashi and Yawaraka, a look of worry plastered across the false face.

"What're you doing?" he rasped, trying to sit up in an effort to aid her in the wrapping of his torso. When had she even removed his shirt?

"Be still," she soothed yet again, rubbing a hand across his shoulders to prove to him to him that things would be okay. Kakashi sighed in relief as the painful burning began to fade away. "You'll feel better in a few minutes. How is Anko?" she asked, setting him down and moving over to her."

"I don't know…" admitted Kakashi, his voice wavering as reality came to a head again. "He threw her at a tree and… the _crunch_. I'm scared, Mom… Is she okay?"

Yawaraka frowned as she tried to assess the young girl for broken bones. "I'm not sure. But she doesn't look too bad. She's a stubborn little girl, isn't she?"

"Yeah she—" Kakashi broke off when he realized that her clones were gone. "Look out!"

An entire squad of ninja broke through the tree line, their weapons raised and fists at the ready. "Move!" he screamed, rolling to his hands and knees. His body protested and his vision swam.

Kakashi sucked in a ragged breath as he attempted to fight his limits but his body wasn't having it. He shakily rose to his feet, but by that time his mother was already in combat. She whirled and spun, her attacks arching high and low as she pelted her victims with the fury of a mother.

"You bastards will not hurt my children!" she spat, chakra-enhancing her fist and beaming an ugly ninja right in between the eyes. He croaked loudly as the nasal bones between his eyes shattered.

Kakashi watched in awe for only a moment before calling upon his dwindling chakra reserves to bolster his strength. This was going to be a long fight and he'd be damned if he let his mother fight it for him.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"DUCK!" SCREAMED JIRAIYA. He thought better of it and snatched the boy by the back of their shirts and yanking them down onto the ground. A hoard of kunai embedded themselves in the trees behind them, leaving Gai and Genma to groan with chagrin.

"Thanks, sensei!" Gai shouted, leaping back to his feet to kick an incoming ninja in the shin. The ninja gave him a peculiar look, grimacing and looking confused and shocked all in the same stroke. Gai laughed merrily and pushed chakra into his legs before bending his legs at the knee and pushing off the ground with a quick burst of speed. He somersaulted in mid-air, slamming both heels into the back of the ninja's neck, just where it met the skull. Instant-knock out. "Get him, Genma!"

Genma snickered and shifted the kunai in his hand so that blade pointed back. He spun on one foot, slicing the ninja's throat before he could even crumple to the ground. "Sensei! Incoming, two o' clock!"

"For the life of me, if I'd known teaching you to defend yourself better was going to get you fighting on the frontlines with me I would've left you with Sakumo so he could teach a different jutsu!" Jiraiya began to punch and kick in a panicked flurry hoping to avoid his beloved students getting hurt.

"We can do this," declared Genma, removing his senbon from his mouth. He reached into his hip-pouch and grabbed out another handful. Easily he flung them at a ninja charging toward him. Jiraiya nodded in approval when the ninja fell to the ground, unconscious. Gai immediately stepped in and slit the throat of the ninja.

Normally taking hostages made a good bargaining chip, but low Chunin such as this wouldn't have any information of value.

"Stick together," he commanded, his tone becoming serious again. "I don't want to bury any of you away from home."

Gai and Genma nodded, knowing that he would've sealed them inside a scroll and returned their bodies home but gathering the message all together. Don't die.

Together the two of them began to cut down the near-terrifying influx of enemy ninja. Jiraiya moved on a bit further ahead where the Jonin were flowing into the village, hoping to keep them from reaching his students. He'd never forgive himself if they perished because of him.

Orochimaru suddenly appeared next to them, his hair flowing around him, charged with static brought on by his chakra. It broiled within him, projecting outward in ripples that were almost tangible. Gai and Genma froze, choking on the sensation of his chakra, laced with anger and killing-intent, passing through them. It clogged their noses and throats, felt like ice in their veins, and burned against their skin.

Viciously, he began to swirl into action. A casual flick of the wrist felled an enemy ninja, kunai buried deep into an eye socket.

"Kuchiyose!" snarled Orochimaru, slamming his fist onto the ground. A small, swift ninja swept down upon him, tanto poised and ready to slice off the sennin's head. Orochimaru's body rippled and he shifted out of the way of the hit. Gai would've gasped in appreciation for the move if he hadn't been paralyzed by the intensity of Orochimaru's rage.

A large battery of snakes, in various degrees of shapes of sizes, appeared with a puff of smoke. "Take them back to the safest place possible. I want them safe, you hear me? Protect them with all your worth. If you find someone in need of aid report back _immediately!" _barked Orochimaru, looping one snake around his arm so that it could slither up his sleeve and hide for a surprise attack.

The snakes hissed and nodded, the larger ones rapidly slithering over to Gai and Genma. They were able to screech in terror when the snakes opened their mouth to swallow them.

"Fear not," Orochimaru said soothingly. "It's the safest way."

Safest way or not, Orochimaru had the creepiest summons they'd ever seen. Riding inside the belly of the snake was not a route they wanted to take but it seemed to be the one they were on.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"REMEMBER WHAT I taught you! I need everyone to do it and I need you to do it _now!_ Everyone, get hidden!" commanded Jiraiya, the boom of his voice reverberating and echoing grandly in the small confines of the tunnels.

Of course, he'd still be been teaching them to do the jutsu when the invasion had occurred. "Remember, think earth. You have to infuse the chakra in your body with the chakra around you. If you can do it, help the others hide!"

He was pleased that he'd managed to teach the few who'd already been instructed on the jutsu—Kakashi and Jiraiya had instructed some of the students as they could and some had practiced more than others—to use the Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu, or Earth Release: Headhunter jutsu. It allowed the user to capture an enemy and pull them into the ground up to their neck. This would be extremely useful for those in the tunnel.

"I know this is scary, but I want you to do as instructed. If an enemy ninja wanders in here _do not hesitate. _Whether they are young or old you _must _fight them. They will not hesitate to kill you!"

Sakumo stared at the Genin, some of them young and some of them older career Genin, as his message sunk in. "If anyone manages to make it back here I want you to be smart about how you fight them. No hero tactics. Be smart; if one comes in alone, use the Moguragakure jutsu and stay hidden. Someone capable of the Shinju Zashu can pull them until they're up to their head. Cut off their head and fling it back out. It may or may not scare away any ninja of less than stellar strength, got it?"

Some looked repulsed by his tactics, but others looked more ready and more encouraged to hear the seriousness of their situation put in such blunt terms.

"I am not the intended Jonin for this post so I must leave and make my to my post. I expect to see all of you afterwards. If you must die, take out as money of them as possible. But remember that protecting Usushiogakure is the objective," Sakumo nodded as a means of parting. He was almost surprised when the group of Genin and even the civilian fighters behind them began to bow. He grinned in appreciation and returned the boy before Shunshining out of the tunnels.

He exchanged nods with the Jonin arriving to retrieve his position at the post and immediately began to travel across the rooftops at a fast, Jonin pace. His peripheral vision blurred into nothingness as he moved, the sounds of his ninja sandals landing on the rooftop beating out a rapid melody.

In the back of his mind he felt worry for Kakashi and his beloved wife, but he couldn't allow himself to focus on that. Not here, not now. He exhaled through his nose as he rejected thoughts of worry and mentally began to run through a checklist of all the supplies he currently had equipped.

A dual-set of kunai, a single brace of shuriken, ninja wired wrapped up neat and tidy in his hip pouch, a few explosive tags, a soldier pill—they were too expensive to carry around more than a few at a time-, his tanto, exactly five smoke bombs, forty chakra enhanced stones for rapid-fire Kawarimi, and a small tub of salve in case he was stabbed or burned.

Immediately, his mind began to whirl through a series of strategies that he could employ but none of them were concrete because he hadn't made it to the front –lines yet. On the way there he sensed Kakashi's and Yawaraka's chakra signatures, strong and flowing as they used chakra to perform ninjutsu. He swerved around an environmental genjutsu, clapping his hands together with a sharp, spat of "Kai!" to release the jutsu. P

Up ahead he could see Jiraiya, fists flying in a flurry of punches as he engaged more then five Jonin in a taijutsu battle of an unholy level. Sakumo reached back to grab his tanto with one hand, the other traveling up to readjust his hitai-ate.

"Thought you could use a hand!" he called out cheerfully after stabbing a surprised enemy in the back. He'd been too focused on the fight at hand to dodge the attack he couldn't sense until the last minute.

The enemy Jonin swore violently and began to leap away in an effort to regroup and attack with a different method. Jiraiya scowled at Sakumo, though his eyes glinted with amusement. "What d'ya mean? That's the most fun I've had all day!"

"Ha!" Sakumo easily avoided the punch thrown by a ninja behind him. He threw the weight of his body onto the ball of his right foot, his left foot up and ready as he readjusted his weight, hurling himself around for a high roundhouse kick. The ninja ducked low, batting red eyes at him in confusion. Sakumo smirked and began to Kawarimi back and forth in front of the ninja, enjoying the enraged response.

"You will not defeat me!" she screamed, her voice arching up in anger. Sakumo calmly reached into his hip pouch, withdrew a chakra enhanced pebble, and flung it at her with stark precision. She growled in frustration at the indignity of being hit with pebbles and whipped the bow off of her back. She began to fire at him in earnest.

Sakumo scowled, realizing she was a better shot than he'd anticipated. He leaped backwards, back-flipped in mid-air, and focused his mind on the chakra enhanced stone laying on the ground next to her. Chakra-enhanced objects could be redirected after being thrown. It was a hard skill to master, but Sakumo wasn't a Tokubetsu Jonin for nothing.

By the time he reached the fulcrum of his leap, the stone was above her head. He rapidly Kawarimi'd with the stone, redirected his flight pattern, and sailed downwards towards her, headfirst. Tanto drawn, he sailed past her, decapitating her without needing to move a muscle.

Her scream of frustration never met her lips. .

"Eww, Sakumo! You've been here five minutes and you're already making a mess!" joked Jiraiya, ramming his fist into the throat of an enemy. He drew back, spinning around with a pleased smirk because he knew he'd broken _that _neck—now all he needed to do was break about fifty more and he'd beat his old record.

"Live a little!" admonished Sakumo, flaying another ninja. "Kakashi's the White Skipper but I'm the White Fang and I'm hungry like a wolf!"

Jiraiya didn't even have time to facepalm at the ridiculous statement. He just smiled and continued to fight, as they all did. He enjoyed fighting, but he loved it when he could fight with people who shared his love of it.

"How long do you think this will take?" asked Sakumo, eyeing the line of angry ninja in front of them. "I need to take Yawaraka to get a new kimono later and she'll kill me if I don't make it on time."

"Would you two shut the fuck up and just fight us already!?" screamed a tall, burly looking man with an excessively large, poorly-made sword. Sakumo and Jiriaya looked at each other cornily before shrugging and charging in. After all, it was only polite.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

INOICHI LIFTED HIS head as he scanned the area to make sure all of the ninja assigned to the post were present. Seeing that they were, he nodded and began to run back to the meeting point. Shikaku and Choza were making rounds to ensure that all areas were properly protected before joining the fighting.

He froze when he saw one of their own crawling along the ground, heavily injured. "Help me!"

Inoichi quickly skipped over, struggling to remember the name of the ninja. When he couldn't he paused and probed into the projected psyche to ensure that it matched the physical presentation. This he could do without having to use the mind-body switch because it was the perception of self that one projected. If they knew they were faking a cover it would be a lot easier to tell that they weren't who they said they were.

Often times ninja would infiltrate the other city by pretending to be injured so that they would be able to get into the infirmaries and begin killing off the wounded ninja that were being tended to. It was a tricky process.

"What's your status?" he asked, hefting the man onto his shoulder. He grimaced when he realized he was missing a leg.

"Fucking bleeding, you dumb shit!"

Inoichi rolled his eyes and raced back to the infirmary as fast as he could possibly make himself run. When he got there, he handed off the injured ninja and grabbed two of the medical ninja by the arm.

"Get a few field medics if you've got them to patrol the area. We don't have any extra eyes out there to do it—he's lucky I found him. I'd like us to save as many lives as possible!"

The medical ninja nodded and immediately began to gear up to go. Inoichi didn't wait on him; he had to meet up with Shikaku and Choza.

When he finally made it there he was red in the face and slightly winded from traveling so quickly. "Sorry," he panted. "I found someone missing a leg and had to rush them to get help. I told them—to get—some field medics out here. Fuck, gimme a second."

Shikaku thumped on the back and Choza grinned. "Don't worry, we just got here ourselves. Everyone is in position."

"Yeah," said Shikaku, nodding. "Alright, you ready? We need to get a move on. Judging by the number of ninja coming, I think most of them are weaker and they're hoping to overwhelm us without sending their best fighters. We can't let that happen."

"Let's go _thin_ the herd!" grinned Choza, expanding his stomach to emphasize his point. Shikaku and Inoichi let out a bark of laughter each before they began to speed off towards the front line, hoping to aid in the fighting. Even if they got into a position where they couldn't fight had on, they could always be backup and help the injured. No job was too small on the field. That was academy stuff.

When they finally arrived they were horrified by what they saw. Bodies lay in ragtag heaps, some from Uzu and some from Iwa or Kumo. Most of the bodies were of enemy ninja, but it was still disheartening to see so many.

Immediately they began to pick through them, trying to find some that were still alive. Trip after trip, body after body. Most were dead, but there were some who were still clinging onto life. Shikaku and Choza and Inoichi began to set up an assembly line. Inoichi was the fastest so he would pick the wounded up from the warzone, and run them back to a safe middle ground where Choza would grab as many as he could and transport them to the grounds nearest to the hospital. Shikaku and the medical ninja would then grab the wounded from there and transport them once more for proper medical attention.

It was grueling, mind-numbing work but it was necessary and someone had to do it. They just wished it didn't have to be them.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI TRIPPED OVER a dead body on the ground as he made his way towards his mother, his shoulders sagging with the effort of motion. She eyed him with tired eyes, her arms cradling Anko's still unconscious body protectively.

"Get out," intoned Kakashi, his eyes heavy. "We have to get back to the safer part of the village before we get ambushed again."

She nodded wearily, shaking her head to clear the fog of exhaustion and emotion from her mind. "They ought to change your name to the White Reaper. How many did you even… dispose of?"

"More than I'd like to say," he whispered, the number repeating over and over again in his head. Fifty-six. Today he had killed fifty-six people. It wasn't even over yet.

Yawaraka nodded, understanding the dispassionate way he'd slit throat after throat, crushed skull after skull, and killed in various ways until there was a litany of bodies added to her substantial tally.

He held out his arms to accept Anko and she begrudgingly allowed him to take the girl. She was afraid of letting him carry her because he was so small and it would be hard to fight with her in his arms should they be attacked.

They didn't run; that was energy they simply didn't have to waste. After a while the sounds of nature grew quiet and Kakashi realized they weren't alone.

"Don't act suspicious," whispered Yawaraka, coughing loudly afterward. "Man, I can't wait til we can back. A hot bath sounds so good right about now."

"I'd really just like to sleep. I'm so beat… How much longer do we even have to go?" he tried to make himself sound whiney rather than terrified. His mother was on edge because they weren't alone. That much he knew. How many people were there … that he didn't know.

Were they surrounded?

"Here, pick up the pace. We're late. I told Sakumo we'd meet him and he'll be very angry if we don't show up on time. He'll probably come looking for us like a bat outta Hell." Yawaraka laughed easily, as though they were just in casual conversation. Her words sent a false message to their would-be attackers that reinforcements would be coming soon. Too bad it wasn't true.

The first arrow embedded itself deep in the flesh of her shoulder, earning a deep, keening cry of distress from both her and Kakashi. She dropped to her knees, arm cradling the wound as she began to rock back and forth. With a strained grunt she wrenched the arrow free, crying out when the blood began to flow freely.

Kakashi looked in the direction the arrow had come from, unsure of what to do. Did he set Anko down and attack? No. There could be others, many others. It'd be like walking into a dark room with your hands in your pockets. Did he stand in front of his mother, Anko still in his arms? Did he let his mother fight?

"What do I do?" he whispered, panic edging into his voice. Who did he chose? His mother or Anko? What could he do?

"Protect her," replied Yawaraka, forcing herself to her feet. "That's not a choice you'll have to make today. I can make it for you."

Kakashi bit back the tears that threatened to fall as he looked around in earnest for the other enemies, his chakra spreading out as he attempted to feel for them. He couldn't stretch his chakra wide enough because there just wasn't enough. "Don't do this," he implored, hating how weak his voice sounded.

Another arrow flew into the clearing, air whistling through the feathers that balanced the shaft of the arrow. It landed inches from him. Yawaraka growled, spinning in a perfect circle as she flung a brace of kunai in multiple directions. Three bodies plunked to the ground, kunai embedded in differing parts of the face.

"Get on your feet, Kakashi," she commanded, her voice low and steady. Kakashi did as instructed, steeling his reserve. He wouldn't let her throw her life away. The panic began to fade as rage took over.

Anko stirred slightly, but didn't get up.

Kakashi set his feet wider apart, adopting the Uzu stance as she'd instructed him. His right palm was facing outward in a "Stop" signal and his left arm was at his waist, bent at the elbow with his left palm facing upwards as though cupping something. He kept his weight on his back leg, settling it over the ball of his right foot. Nothing would get past him.

He roared in fury when the bodies began to flood into the small clearing, charging directly at him and Yawaraka. The two of them stood back to back over Anko who continued to lie motionless on the ground.

Yawaraka was attacked first, leaving her to deflect projectile weapons with a kunai. Kakashi leapt forward, intending to take out the ten charging towards her with hand-held weapons drawn. Yawaraka yanked him back, spinning around as she flung him towards Anko.

"Stick with her! I can handle them!"

"No, you can't!" he snarled, ramming his elbow into the forehead of a man trying to grab Anko. "Let me help you!"

"Let me help you!" mocked a tall, dark-eyed ninja. "Tch. Respect your elders, shithead."

Kakashi kicked him in the throat as hard as he possibly could, taking satisfaction in the man's gurgling coughs as he struggled to breath with a broken trachea. The other ninja exchanged looks wearily but did not back down. Kakashi was forced to duck, weave, and dodge for the next ten minutes as he dealt with the large amounts of Chunin desperate to kill him.

Yawaraka was having trouble fighting as well. Her injured arm kept flaring up and moving inappropriately. She was forced to consciously fight against her instincts while simultaneously acting on them as she fought.

Kakashi grunted as he backflipped from a standing a position, mule-kicking a man in the face before touching his hands down to the earth and springing back into the air again. He soared through the air, twisting as he flung a handful of shuriken into the group of ninja below him. Most of them were deflected, but he took out a slow ninja with at least three shuriken. It did him little good because that ninja was of the least threat as it was.

"Duck, Kakashi!" screamed Yawaraka.

Kakashi didn't think twice—he ducked. When he rolled over to see what she'd been so scared of, he gulped. It was a Tokubetsu Jonin from Iwa.

"Ah, if it isn't the White Skipper. I do believe I ought to collect the bounty on your head before we take your little friends here back home with us. I bet T and I would _love _to… ask them some _questions. _Among other things." Kakashi glared at the ninja, memorizing every detail of his face. Red hair. Orange eyes. A lip ring. Face shape six. He wondered what it look like when it was covered in blood.

Yawaraka could feel the killing intent rippling off of her boy in dreadful waves. "Kakashi, stay calm. We'll be fine."

Kakashi ignored her, focusing on the feeling of his hate and drawing on it. Was this how it was to fight when angry? For normal ninja staying calm was a must when fighting. For ninja like him and Naruto… pissing them off was the base equivalent signing a death certificate for yourself.

Without warning, Kakashi lurched forward with chakra enhanced speed. Before the Tokubetsu Jonin could even respond Kakashi was reigning down upon with kicks and punches faster than he could even imagine.

Kakashi was on the offensive with Uzu Taijutsu, rather than a strong defensive offense as it was supposed to be. Instead of flowing around his opponent, he flowed through him. He was beginning to run low on chakra but he didn't intend on it taking a long time.

After getting beamed in the face with another punch that jarred the roots of a few teeth from their cozy little sockets, the ninja scowled and tried to stab Kakashi in the leg but Kakashi simply Kawarimi'd out of the way

"Well, well, Little Skipper. It looks like you earned your name after all," he snickered.

"Actually, I've had a bit of a name change. They call me the White Reaper now," lied Kakashi. It didn't hurt to at least attempt to change his name. "I walk with death but it does not claim me as its own."

The ninja scoffed in amusement, punching Yawaraka in the jaw when she tried to sneak up on him. "Yeah? Well they call me the Banshi. Certain death."

Kakashi glowered at the man, wishing he had more chakra. He wished for his old body so he could tear this prick a new asshole. "Of course. Because you'll be the one dying here today, not me."

Again he grabbed for his tanto, only to remember once more that it was still in his room. Never mind that, he would find a way around it. With a grunt of frustration he yanked two kunai out of the tree next to him, channeling his chakra through the comparatively unresponsive metal.

They crackled with elemental chakra, earning a look of dark appreciation from Banshi. He began to fling weapon after at Kakashi who simply dodged again and again. All of the other ninja had disappeared, either because Bashi had ordered them to or because they figured that Banshi could handle it.

Kakashi couldn't see his mother, but he could still sense her. He knew she was probably hiding with Anko. He was growing tired and he knew it. If the little cuts he was accumulating all over his body from scuffing against trees as he wildly avoiding kunai and shuriken were indication, he would need to finish this match sooner rather than later.

Banshi appeared behind him, sword at the ready and Kakashi could only _just _duck in time to avoid being decapitated. Kakashi grimaced, using chakra to adhere his body to the underside of the branch. His attacker followed, slashing him across the stomach with the katana before Kakashi could even defend himself.

Kakashi screamed in both pain and terror as he was flung to the ground. "Let's see if death will claim you _now!" _roared Banshi, pushing off the branch, sword raised above his head in a reverse grip so that he could more easily stab Kakashi when he fell to the ground.

A loud scream tore through the clearing and then Kakashi hit the ground. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach as blood began to ooze more rapidly from the wound, but he didn't feel the pain of a stab coursing through him.

He opened his eyes nervously, surprised to see foliage above him. He looked around quickly, his heart dropping into his stomach when he saw his mother on the ground, impaled with the sword of a surprise-looking Banshi.

Then Banshi smiled and knelt down next to the woman, whispering something in her ear. Kakashi couldn't help himself. He couldn't help the scream of desperate agony that was torn from his lips. He couldn't help the intense wave of killing intent that roiled up inside of him and expanded across the clearing. He was absolutely certain that he would be the one to kill Banshi.

But he was wrong. He never even had the chance to move. Someone else did it for him.

A blur of color sped across the clearing so quickly that, at first, Kakashi could not identify the person. Rapidly, punches and kicks beat down upon Banshi, forcing him to cry out as he struggled to defend himself from his impossibly talent opponent.

Kakashi gasped in surprise when suddenly Banshi cried out, freezing in place. He stared down at his stomach where'd he'd been run through with his own weapon. The figure in white and purple stared into the man's eyes as he fell to the ground.

It couldn't be him. Could it?

He fell to his knees, staring in awe as Orochimaru knelt down next to his mother. Kakashi forced himself to his feet, his attempt at running coming across rather lamely as he struggled towards his mother and her savior.

"Yes, he's fine." Was he holding her hand? Why was he doing that? Was she dying?

"He did so wonderful…" breathed Yawaraka, her face euphoric and all together much too peaceful.

Kakashi's felt like a cold hand was squeezing his heart. He couldn't breathe.

"Yes, he did," agreed Orochimaru. His face was somber.

Kakashi's anger was fading. He was beginning to panic.

"Is he okay? I need to see him!" whispered Yawaraka. Her eyes were beginning to look rather unfocused.

Kakashi practically flung himself onto the ground next to her. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he clutched at her shoulders. "I'm fine, I'm right here!" It hurt to lean over that way; he could feel the blood staining his shirt and passing through it onto hers. "Please, don't leave me."

"Why would I do that?" she asked blandly, looking to Orochimaru for confirmation. He pressed a hand to the whole in stomach and gave her a pointed look. "Am I dying?"

"You might," admitted Orochimaru. "But not if I can help it."

Kakashi pressed his face into her uninjured shoulder, terrified that she wasn't going to get up.

"How is Anko?" asked Orochimaru. Kakashi told him she was fine. Orochimaru smiled and began to pull out a bottle of salve.

"That is for the best. I'm more motivated to help you now."

"Huh?"

"Shh, it's best if you sleep while I do this. It's quite painful. You've both been poisoned…in fact, you're about to pass out right now."

Kakashi desperately tried to deny it but he knew that Orochimaru was right. '_Goddamit,'_ he thought. '_I'm so tired of getting poisoned.'_

_ 'Wish Kyuubi burned that shit off for you like it did for me. You'd have a lot less problems,' _stated Naruto, not very good at comforting him at the moment. He too was torn up over the prospect of losing his pseudomother.

"Protect my baby," whispered Yawaraka, latching onto Orochimaru's arm. "He's going to be very important someday. If not for me, do it for Anko."

Orochimaru shifted uncomfortably and separated her hands from his arms. "Alright."

Kakashi stiffened immediately. "No! Save her first, I'm fine!"

"I must respect her orders. After all, she protected my disciple while I was away. Now I must protect hers," said Orochimaru, his rationalization actually quite simple. Kakashi began to cry in earnest as he stared at is mother who smiled at him serenely.

The last thing he could see before he succumbed to sweet oblivion was her face, relaxed and peaceful, fixed with a smile that terrified him.

**Author's Note: Finally managed to churn out a longer chapter. What do you all think? Don't expect Orochimaru to be perfect and good right from the getgo. It'll be a developmental thing. How was the fighting and etc. for all of you guys? Let me know. :D Reviews inspire me so much! **


	14. Slow Burn

**Author's Note: Sorry for not replying to the reviews from last chapter. Real life got in the way again. :/ Sorry! **

**Chapter Fourteen: Slow Burn **

_"Not really sure how to feel about it... Something in the way you move makes me feel like I can't live without you."_ Stay by Rihanna

* * *

RED FLOODED HIS vision; the strange color personified both his rage and the blood that had been shed on his account. His chest ached but whether it was from loss or literal physical pain Kakashi wasn't sure. In his mind he knew that he was seeing red because of the light shining through his closed eyelids but another part of his mind wanted desperately for it to be the fires of Hell. It was his fault his mother was dead…

A gentle hand prodding his shoulder jarred him from his self-deprecating reverie and he begrudgingly opened his eyes. Without moving his head he rolled his eyes to the right, immediately realizing it was Sakumo. Tears welled up in his eyes. How did he explain? How did he apologize for what he'd caused? He hadn't even been the one to kill the attacker… Kakashi could feel his disdain for Orochimaru growing by the second.

"I'm so sorry," Kakashi whispered, his voice hoarse with passion and disuse. "I tried. I really did. There were just too many and I—"

"It's okay. You're alive, that's all that matters. The rest will work out," soothed Sakumo, his eyes heavy with emotion. He smiled slightly and ran a hand over Kakashi's ragtag mop of hair. "Your mother is proud of you."

Kakashi tried to quash the feeling of hope that trembled within his gut. "She… She's dead isn't she?"

Sakumo froze, leaning back in confusion. "No one told you? She's in critical condition, but she's stable. If Orochimaru hadn't shown up when he had…"

Orochimaru. Orochimaru had saved her. Any and all feelings of discontent for the snake Sennin evaporated and Kakashi stared down at his hands. He was a wreck, both physically and emotionally. "I thought she was dead… I wished it was me. I know I'm supposed to carry on and help Konoha but…."

Kakashi smiled and wiped the cheers from his unmasked face. "I think I would have been able to smile at the memory of her at some point. I just pray that I'll get more time with her."

"That's actually why I'm here." Sakumo reached over and pulled up Kakashi's mask, knowing that Kakashi felt a bit too vulnerable at the moment. "You are scheduled for a retrieval mission."

Kakashi stared at the sheets, noticing a slight spattering of red where his blood had seeped through his bandages. Was he even in good enough condition to go?

"I… What if Kaa-san wakes up when I'm—"

"No. She won't. That's why _you_ are going. You are accompanying Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Inoichi to fetch Tsunade. Yawaraka… she's critical. Stable but critical. If we don't get her help soon… she might experience a decline. We don't know if she'd come back from it. In a state of suspension she has two months but the wounds made by Banshi were too significant. He severed many arteries. Your mother is the best medical ninja in the village so we're short on someone who would have the potential to help her."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, realizing the pinched tone of his father's voice and the sharp angles at the corners of his eyes could only mean one thing. "You're not going?"

"Aa… In the event that your mother does get worse they agreed to wake her up so that I could…" _Say goodbye. _It didn't need to be said and it wasn't said because it was too painful. Kakashi nodded in understanding, repressing the dastardly feeling of choking to death that usually accompanied tears of loss.

"I won't let you down, papa. I promise." Kakashi forced himself to hug his father even though it literally hurt to do so. When he began to cry his father mistook them as tears of emotional pain and allowed himself to cry as well. Kakashi figured it was for the best and didn't allow himself to pull back from the hug.

His father eventually pulled back and patted him on the head. It was an affectionate gesture that Kakashi had grown to appreciate. "Jiraiya would have informed you but he's busy gathering information and preparing for the trip while Orochimaru dotes over Anko. He was quite livid with her for doing something so stupid. I'll send him in to speak with you because I _know _you have some things to say."

Kakashi nodded , looking away as he thought over the events of the past few moments. It was as though one weight had been lifted from his shoulders only to be replaced by another one of greater importance.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

OROCHIMARU STOOD IN front of him, hands tucked awkwardly behind his back as he regarded Kakashi with nervous eyes. Kakashi couldn't bring himself to speak yet and Orochimaru refused so they simply shared the silence for a while longer.

Kakashi glanced down at his lap again, the red blotches on his blanket reminding him of the battles he'd been through only hours ago. Uzu had been saved but not without the loss of lives. Thanks to Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza the loss hadn't been too great but there was death nonetheless.

Despite plucking up the gumption to open his mouth, Kakashi found that the words just didn't want to come out. He closed his mouth, passing his tongue against his lower lip before reconsidering and opening up again. "I'm sorry we didn't take better care of Anko."

"It's quite alright. From what I hear she acted completely irrationally. Shikaku and Choza are returning to Konoha with her in tow. I can't afford to bring her with us to fetch Tsunade," explained Orochimaru, his eyes narrowed as his mind recounted detail after detail. "How exactly did she get… hurt?"

"She… well she acted like an idiot, really. She tried to attack a Jonin. Jumped on his back and then hesitated before slitting his throat. She did manage to _get _on his back though, so you do have to give her that."

"I'm training her to be the perfect little assassin; she'd better be able to jump onto their back before they can stop her." Orochimaru's voice was soft, almost scared. He was deflecting and they both knew it.

"So… I hear Kaa-san is in a bad way, but I think we both know she'd be dead if you hadn't shown up when you did."

Orochimaru wandered a little closer, moving from just inside the door where he _had _been standing and over to Kakashi's bedside table where there was a picture of Kakashi and Yawaraka, sweaty from training and bearing gigantic smiles. It was inexcusably corny but undeniable cute.

"I only bothered to save her after I was sure that Anko was safe." Orochimaru picked the photo up, bringing it close to his face with a scrutinizing squint narrowing his purple eyes. He set it back down with a blasé motion and turned to face Kakashi, a serious expression on his prominent features. "You're lucky she was safe otherwise I wouldn't have done it."

Kakashi didn't allow his eyes to narrow in irritation. If he was going to convince Orochimaru to stay he'd need to cater to the man's ego. "I'll always keep Anko safe. But…. Maybe you're right; maybe you're not. The fact of the matter is that you did… and I'm grateful."

Kakashi forced himself to scoot over to the edge of the bed where Orochimaru was standing, arms folded across his chest. It was a deeply emotional and highly physical battle—he didn't particularly _want _to do what he was about to do and it physically _hurt _him to do it. And yet, here he was, seconds away from hugging the legendary Snake Sennin.

Orochimaru's entire body tensed up when Kakashi's arms suddenly latched around his waist and the boy's face was pressed against his side. He lifted his arms up as though he'd done something wrong and looked down at Kakashi with confusion and panic in his eyes.

"Thank you."

The awkward hug lasted a few more seconds before Kakashi pulled back, his shoulders popping with the motion.

Orochimaru looked anywhere but him, his shoulders hunched up in an obviously uncomfortable posture. "Uh… Yeah. Sure…"

Orochimaru scratched at his neck, coughed and then turned around to high-tail it out of there. He paused in the doorway and glanced back at Kakashi, his cheeks red with embarrassment. Kakashi couldn't help but smile lightly at the dazed expression on the man's face. "We leave at eight tomorrow. Be ready."

When the raven haired snake summoner was gone, Kakashi repressed the urge to chuckle. At least now he knew how to effectively stump the man if they ever became enemies. He'd heard once that a surprise show of affection in the midst of a fight could surprise even the most level-headed ninja. The thought of Orochimaru shrinking away from an overly enthusiastic Sasuke sent him into a fit of laughter so loud that his father had to check on him. As far as he was concerned, it was worth it.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"WE'RE GOING THROUGH Shukuiuba-machi first and then if we don't find clues we're heading to Otafuku Gai because that's one of the reliable places to find Tsunade," announced Jiraiya, his voice echoing throughout the room do a case of inflated self-importance. Orochimaru huffed and rolled his eyes, but otherwise didn't mention his friends' superior knowledge of Tsunade's whereabouts.

Kakashi nodded solemnly, inwardly wondering how the hell they would manage to retrieve her when Naruto had been the only one successful enough to convince her. '_You can always try to let me take over your body,' _suggested Naruto, remembering how the Kyuubi-enhanced Kakashi had done just that.

'_Not over my dead body,'_ retorted Kakashi. He could only imagine the kind of antics Naruto would pull if he was in control of their shared body. '_You'd make a direct trip to the nearest ramen stand and _then _where would my figure be?'_

Naruto scoffed and folded his incorporeal arms and Kakashi withdrew from his mindscape to rejoin the present situation. Orochimaru was checking and double-checking all of his supply pouches. Inoichi was still cramming things into his. Jiraiya was feverishly scribbling on a pad of paper, recording his perverted ideas and possible one-liners to unleash on Tsunade when they found her. Kakashi… sat. He had been ready since last night. He tried to always be ready for a surprise mission. He hadn't been ready for the invasion and that had been slap in the face.

It didn't take long for them to leave. Sakumo didn't come to say goodbye; Kakashi found it a little strange that his father didn't even show up but he didn't mention it or outwardly acknowledge it. He found himself surprisingly solemn and more like the old him than he'd been in an long time. It was amazing what a close call could do to one's behavior. .

As they traveled through the day, Kakashi found his mind wandering back and forth between his mother and father. A niggling shred of doubt began to grow in the pit of stomach, cold hard feeling sending ways of nausea throughout him. What if his father hadn't come because he was angry with Kakashi? What if he was being held responsible for her state?

Kakashi shook the feelings from his mind as best as he could, knowing that there were already too many things he felt guilty about. He still felt guilt about the situation with his mother but that situation was not one that he could change, so why bother feeling like shit about it?

"You alright there, kiddo? You look a little pale…." Inoichi commented, his face rigid with fear. He was assuming the worst; he'd seen the kind of memories Kakashi had to contend with. He'd had nightmares after experiencing them secondhand, let alone from an emotionally connected point of view.

Kakashi nodded, winking at the older boy. "Just wondering whether or not taking up knitting would be a good decision…. I hear it's quite relaxing."

"Er… okay. Sorry I asked."

Kakashi smirked beneath his mask and then pushed a little harder so that he was even with Jiraiya.

"How much further until we reach Shukuba?"

"Another six hours. We'll go a bit faster after we stop for lunch. You gonna be able to keep up?" Jiraiya smirked widely, knowing that Kakashi wouldn't have a problem. He would, however, be rather offended by Jiraiya's offhand jibe.

"Maa, I think I might like to take a nap when we stop, but other than that…"

"Jokes aside, how are you feeling?" asked Jiraiya, his wooden getas clopping loudly against each branch he jumped over. Kakashi shrugged.

"Pretty shitty, actually…. But I've got a duty to perform, so…." Kakashi sheepishly ran a hand through his hair, sighing when it fell flat again. Jiraiya reached over when they were in the air and ruffled it for him so that it would stand up again.

Kakashi smiled at him, using his eyes so that it would be conveyed more easily. If one paid very careful attention to the shadows cast upon his mask they could tell when he was smiling. The less observant were forced to read his eyes.

After another hour they stopped and ate lunch. True to his word, Kakashi wolfed down his meal and then laid down so the startling sense of vertigo would fade. When lunch was over they eradicated any proof of them having been there. Then they took off at a quicker pace than they'd been traveling before. Kakashi could already feel the burn in his abused muscles.

Breathing still hurt so he was forced to keep calm, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. He'd long grown accustomed to the warm feeling of his breath against the mask but today it made him feel rather sticky.

There were a few times, as they ran, that his muscles seized up and he nearly fell out of the trees because he landed so bizarrely. Each time someone would grab him and prevent him from falling. To his surprise, Orochimaru caught him the majority of the times. He was almost certain it was due to his offhand statement about always keeping Anko safe that the snake man was even bothering to acknowledge his existence, let alone help him.

Orochimaru was not a perfect man, even before his defection. He was incredibly rude at times though his speech was much more cordial and… _polished_ than Jiraiya's. He could be effectively cold and distanced from you without even opening his mouth and he could cut you down in less than ten seconds. However, he did have the capacity to be a warm, caring person. He just didn't have very many people that he cared about. Anko happened to be one of them and if Kakashi was willing to protect her as well then Kakashi was worth keeping around to protect one of his few useful people. Kakashi was partly praying that whatever human decency still remained inside Orochimaru was also wanting to help Kakashi avoid being orphaned.

As they neared their destination, Kakashi could help but hope that there would be nice beds in the so-called "Inn-Town." His mind began to wander excitedly over various futon set-ups and mattress combos that he had found most comfortable over the years.

It was around dinnertime when they arrived, which meant work first and food later. Tsunade would most likely be eating or gambling at this time, so finding her _now _was crucial.

"Good thing we didn't bring Choza," snickered Inoichi, "Or he'd be bitching the whole time about not getting to eat."

"It's a shame we brought you, though, you'll be looking into every mirror we pass instead of for the target," Kakashi jibed, laughing to show that he was only playing. Inoichi rolled his eyes and flicked Kakashi in the back of the head. Kakashi glared at him and was ready to make another lazily-spoken, biting comment before Jiraiya shot him a glare.

"Focus."

That was enough to get them back on track and remind Kakashi of his ailing mother. How could he forget? He was just trying to enjoy the lightened mood that Inoichi had created but now was not the time. Jiraiya would learn how Kakashi worked in due time.

Kakashi and Inoichi were sent off to 'play' in a nearby playground while Orochimaru and Jiraiya sauntered into a nearby, shady-looking bar so that they could determine whether or not Tsunade had been there. It would look quite suspicious to see a young child and a teenager in a bar, even though they were shinobi. They didn't want others to _know _that they were shinobi, so playing it was.

Inoichi opted to lazily float through the air on the swings but Kakashi needed to look more childish, seeing as he was in the body of a nine year old. Lazily he plopped down in the sandbox, tracing boring patterns through the dirt.

"I'm Amai… Wanna play?" whispered a shy voice. Kakashi looked up, unsurprised to see that the girlish voice matched a cute little girl. Cute in the sense that she was wearing the most adorable outfit Kakashi had seen in a long time. She had on a skirt, day sandals, a frilly pink top, and ribbons in her hair.

He smiled and nodded, wondering if it was obvious that he was a ninja simply because of his mask and ninjato. He shrugged to himself, figuring that most people were stupid and couldn't make the connection.

"What's your name?" she asked, gently kicking her red and pink polka-dotted ball towards him.

"Er…" Kakashi looked at her dress, away from her rosy cheeks, and looked around until his eyes fell upon Inoichi who was giving him a peculiar look as he watched them like a hawk. He was keeping a sharp lookout, wasn't he? Perfect! "Gentan!"

Amai smiled and suddenly her smile grew cruel. "Wanna play dodgeball?"

"Sure."

She smiled, hefted the ball up in her hands, wound an arm back, and flung it at him as hard as he could. He allowed the ball to hit him directly in the face. He found himself mildly surprised by the amount of strength she'd put behind the throw.

With a sigh he squatted down, grabbing for the ball as he realized he was liking this girl less and less. Kakashi stood up again, ball in hand, trying to carefully gauge the amount of strength that would be appropriate for a nine year old. He miscalculated and she was sent flying across the sandbox.

"What the-! How did you do that? I'm the best dodgeball kid I know!" she screeched in disbelief. She was covered in sand and her obvious displeasure was coming off of her in waves. Kakashi felt vaguely appreciative that she was not a ninja because she had a definite mean streak.

"Erm… gomen."

"Gomen!? I'll show you sorry!" she screeched again, grabbing up the ball and flinging it at him. Her anger affected her throw and it missed by a mile, but that didn't stop her from turning on Kakashi, chest heaving with anger. "Now look what you did! I can't find my ball! You'll pay for that Gentan!"

"Maa, maa, let's not get over-excited, ne?"

"I'll show you over-excited!"

Kakashi immediately turned and ran over to Inoichi who was silently shaking with laughter. "Nii-san! Nii-san! I think we need to leave!"

"I guess I need to teach you to make friends, Kakashi-_nii_." Inoichi teased Kakashi as they both began to flee. Kakashi gave him a dark, withering look and Inoichi immediately shut up. It was hard to remember that it was a grown man inside that tiny little body sometimes.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HAVE YOU SEEN a beautiful blonde about—" Jiraiya held his hand up as indicator of Tsunade's height. "this tall, and with a figure like this—" he swept his hands outward, inward for her waist, and then back outward to emphasize the hips of her hourglass figure. "in here recently?"

"Like this?" The bartender mimicked the motion, over-emphasizing the breast portion of the hourglass. Jiraiya nodded greedily and Orochimaru rolled his eyes, looking away with a put-off expression.

"Yeah, like this!" Jiraiya air-pantomimed her body again and Orochimaru scoffed in annoyance, reaching over to grab his hands.

"What this moron means to say is that we're looking for a woman that _looks _mildly like that and has a gambling problem. She might have a very small girl with her about, maybe, seven?" said Orochimaru, his voice pleading. It was a strange tone to hear in his voice, if one were used to hearing it full of malice.

The bartender nodded and smiled. "She owes me about fifteen thousand ryu for her tab, though…. I'd be willing to help you out if I knew that she didn't have this awful debt to repay me." '

Orochimaru deadpanned at the man, his face utterly devoid of any happy emotion. "Fifteen thousand ryu?" (About fifteen hundred US dollars)

"'fraid so, sir."

"Lord above, how that woman spends so much on Sake…" grumbled Orochimaru, digging out his wallet. Surprisingly enough it was a lot like Naruto's frog wallet save for the fact that his was a snake. Jiraiya snickered just looking at it until Orochimaru gave him a dark glare.

"There. We paid, now tell us what we need to know," said Jiraiya, leaning on the counter.

"I paid! Not _you_!" protested Orochimaru, holding his head in his hands.

"Well one of us did, what's it matter?"

Orochimaru glared at Jiraiya for a moment. "I'm out fifteen thousand ryu, that's what it matters!"

"Look, I have customers okay? She went to Tanzaku-Gai, as far as I heard her telling the little girl."

Orochimaru and Jiraiya looked at each other with a grin before bowing and leaving as quickly as possible. When they finally emerged into the sunlight again, both had to blink in shock because the bar had been so dark.

When Orochimaru and Jiraiya noticed that Kakashi and Inoichi were gone they both scowled in frustration.

"You tell them to do _one _simple thing and they can't even manage that," scowled Jiraiya.

Orochimaru shrugged, sighing heavily. "Eh. They're kids. It's what they _do._"

Jiraiya froze, staring at his friend. "Oh, don't tell me I'm getting child-rearing advice from the _snake _Sennin!"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes in amusement. "I put up with _you_ don't I?"

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"WE COULDN'T HAVE stayed and gotten a hotel for the night, or even stopped for dinner. _No. _Because that would've just been _too much_," grouched Inoichi, yanking extra hard on his hair as he readjusted it.

"Look, I offered to get you some extra ration bars—"

"Jiraiya, that's not _food!"_

Orochimaru and Kakashi exchanged pained glances and continued to run on in silence. They were only a few miles out of Tanzaku-Gai and Inoichi was still bitching about how hungry he was.

"Tell ya what, kid, how about after we get there and find her I buy you a nice, hot meal. Deal?" suggested Jiraiya, his wooden getas clopping loudly against the tree branch.

"Cha!" Inoichi pumped his fist into the air and fell back so he could talk to Jiraiya. "Told you I'd get that tight-wad to buy me a me—"

"I heard that!" snapped Jiraiya. "Now you get _nothing_."

"But—"

"Shut up!" snapped Orochimaru, clutching at his ears. "I have listened to the two of you for the past forty miles but _no more! _ Now just shut up and let's enjoy the last few miles in _silence_."

He paused for a moment and then muttered under his breath, "Anyone who so much as opens their mouth to even think of speaking is getting the beating of a lifetime."

Even Jiraiya remained quiet after that. They traveled on for the next twenty minutes in stark silence until they reached the border of Tanzaku-Gai. They immediately went bar to bar, hoping to find Tsunade, only to find out that she'd just left.

After visiting the sixth bar, they were feeling rather low on their luck. However, Jiraiya was not to be deterred and he immediately went to the next one on his list, dragging them all with him. He marched in, demanded to know if she'd been there and was pointed to the back corner. Orochimaru went outside to retrieve both Inoichi and Kakashi and inside they went.  
When they met her, they were quite surprised to see that she didn't appear drunk at all. "What do _you _two want?" she snarled, popping a rice ball into her mouth. She glowered at them as she chewed thoughtfully.

Jiraiya paused for a moment before glancing at Shizune who stared up at him with puppy dog eyes. "The kinds of things I want can't be said before such youthful ears."

Tsunade here?"

Kakashi reddened angrily and bashed him on the head. "Baka! And _you_. What the hell do you think _you're _doing hadn't thought it would be possible, but Orochimaru blanched at the taunt. Was he scared of her?

"I'm sorry,Tsunade-hime… I just—"

"What you wanna ruin my life again?" she snapped, grabbing the bottle of Sake and taking a swig of it. Orochimaru's shoulders slumped forward and he looked away, ashamed.

"You know how I feel about that," he said quietly. Tsunade took one look at him and slumped over herself, feeling ashamed.

She took another swig of the rice wine and then put her head in her hands. "I'm trying so hard to erase all my memories of home but you two just don't ever let me."

Orochimaru sank down on the bench next to her, a tortured expression on his face. "Tsunade, if I could I'd do it all different. You're not the only one who lost people to that war… I lost my parents, and I lost my team. You… Don't make us lose you, too."

Kakashi stood up a little straighter as a most bizarre thought occurred to him. Orochimaru was in love with Tsunade. Had it always been this way?

Tsunade shook her head morosely and didn't look at him. "No, you're better off without me."

Orochimaru wrapped his arm around her in a friendly way, but Kakashi could see that Orochimaru practically itched for it to mean more. How did no one else notice? "Tsunade, we've come to find you because we're in dire need of your help."

"Please," spoke Kakashi, realizing that this was his unspoken cue to speak. "My mother… she's a very important figure in Uzu and they_ need _her to survive. If she dies… Uzu might never recover."

Tsuande looked away as she considered. Jiraiya's getas made an awkwardly loud sound as he shifted his weight, having fallen silent do to the tense situation. Inoichi was sitting down next to Shizune, playing with her food—much to her delight.

"Pay off my debts for me and I'll help you," bargained Tsunade, taking another swig of the Sake on the table.

Orochimaru blanched and immediately turned to Jiraiya. "Whatever it is we're splitting it fifty-fifty."

Jiraiya groaned, but submitted. "How much do you owe?"

"Just here or over all?" she asked innocently.

"I owe ten thousand ryu here, and then fifteen thousand over in Shukuba… But that's it."

"That it?" screeched Jiraiya, his face as white as his hair. "That's _it_? That's a small fortune!"

Orochimaru covered his face in his hands. "I paid more than half…."

"You already paid the debts in Shukuba?" Tsunade looked surprised. But then she nodded.

"Great…. So I'll pay here and then we'll go!" Jiraiya was happy that he'd ended up with the better end of the agreement.

"Fine. But then we go our separate ways."

"You know, I can talk to sensei about getting you your own division in Konoha. I've been thinking and I think the medical ninja on all teams is a great idea," reasoned Orochimaru, even though he knew he was pulling at straws. "Just…. Give things a shot, okay?"

"Try me _after _I heal… what's her name?"

"Sazanami Yawaraka," supplied Kakashi.

"Yeah. After that."

It was quiet for a moment before Inoichi leaned in towards Jiraiya and smiled lecherously. "Now about that meal, eh?"

Kakashi sank down next to Inoichi, feeling drained. Now there was hope.

**Author's Note: This chapter was so hard to write. I'm sorry it's late. I had a lot of things going on in my life after updating this. Got a boyfriend, tennis season started up again, and I've been dead tired trying to get my life in order and survive at the same time.**

**Review and let me know what you think. Reviews fuel my creativity. Did you enjoy banter between Orochimaru and Jiraiya? Ja ne! [:**


	15. Burn Resistant

**Chapter Fifteen: Burn Resistant**

"_Smooth out the creases, then you'll see. And when you fall down, in between them all, here you are whole, not broken." _Not Broken by Skye

* * *

TSUNADE KNEW THAT Kakashi and Sakumo were anxiously pacing back and forth behind the door of Yawaraka's room, but she knew that hurrying the procedure would do the woman no good at all. The critical aspect of her situation had been described rather ineptly; to say that was she was stable had been an out and out lie.

It was lucky that was she was as drunk as she was and had agreed to come quickly otherwise the woman could very well have died, leaving her son and husband without an opportunity to say goodbye. She knew the importance of the woman and what a strong supporter of Uzu the woman was, but it was easier to treat her without thinking about it.

Uzu had been involved in the war that had cost her both her beloved Dan and her adorable little brother Nawaki. She grimaced at the thought, trying to push them from her mind. She was still terrified by the sight of blood. How could she… she couldn't.

Orochimaru gave her a hard look and then stared at his hands, knowing that he was partly to blame for her fear of blood. But what could he do? Remind her further of her inner crisis?

"She's too important to die, Tsunade… you know that."

"Shut up," she hissed, her amber eyes narrowing in misery. "I know that... I can't think of her that way because it reminds me too much of…" She trailed off, unable to verbally admit her loss. She wasn't drunk enough for that.

She clutched at the crystal hanging around her neck, wondering if someday she'd succumb to the same death that all the previous wearers had. She remembered the vow she'd made when she promised herself that she'd never let anyone else have it for fear of them dying and absently realized how foolish it was. Tsunade knew that if she was wearing it she'd likely end up traveling down the same path by some unlucky pull of fate. She'd become a Hokage and die as a result of it.

Pushing that thought aside, she began to unpeel the wrappings binding the woman's side. The wounds were clean and dry but the angry red of the flesh inside the wound indicated a possible infection and gave her further indication of just how deep the wound was.

"Was she completely run through?"

"Yes... She was protecting her son." Was he trying to humanize her? Tsunade grinned slightly, appreciating the effort on his half to make her situation a bit easier.

Tsunade placed a finger on the skin just surrounding the wound to feel for any heat or inflammation. She found none, but winced when the blood began to seep from the freshly opened wound. Tsunade turned her head away, bracing her arm in front of her face so that her mouth was muffled by her elbow as she gagged in spite of her best efforts not to.

"Good thing Jiraiya isn't here… He'd be making the whole situation a lot more awkward with his perverted jokes," whined Tsunade. They both knew she didn't mean it and that she'd rather the pervert be here to lighten the mood.

Orochimaru smiled slightly, though there was no humor in it. "Would you like me to assist in stopping the bleeding? I'm not completely inept in the area of medical jutsu, you know."

Tsunade nodded, looking away as tears burgeoned in the corners of her eyes. "Please."

Orochimaru did what he suggested, his eyes averted from the woman's exposed chest. He was no prude, nor was he a raging pervert like Jiraiya, but he found the woman attractive and would rather be able to look her in the eye without feeling awkward. After all, a body was just a body, nothing more.

"Okay," she exhaled, running her hands through her hair and tucking the dual strands that hung in her face behind her ears. "Keep applying the pressure and I"ll begin repairing the major tissue damage. That way I don't have to look at the—" She gagged suddenly and had to look away. "Yeah."

Orochimaru winced, feeling deeply apologetic that they had to force her to do this. "Perhaps we should've had some of the on-call medics assist us."

"Yes, that might have been wise." Tsunade grunted with effort as the skin began to close. She was no doubt an exceptional medic but fighting the urge to vomit and simultaneously panic while healing one in such critical condition took an inhuman level of strength and emotional resolve.

After a half an hour of healing the majority of the wound was healed and she found herself scowling in disgust. "Why didn't they have this healed for me before I got here? I would've been able to get in and fix the smaller, more dangerous damage much more quickly."

"This is their top medic… the rest can heal wounds but they were too emotionally involved to heal her appropriately. None wished to… further damage her by their inability to focus."

"That wasn't mentioned to the boy was it?"

"No."

"Good. Poor little thing… that's the only thing getting me through this," admitted Tsunade, turning her hands over to stare at the flecks of blood covering them. She hissed when she realized just how much there was and immediately held her hands out to him. "Clean them off, _please_."

Orochimaru immediately grabbed one of the washcloths and delicately picked up her hands. He gently ran the cloth over each finger and then wiped off the palms of her hands and then just as carefully wiped off the backs of her hands, taking care to get each knuckle. She smiled at him, completely oblivious to the care and meticulous attention he had directed toward the task. It had meant much more to him than it had to her.

"Can you clean the wound as well? Now that it's not bleeding we can get rid of the blood and then I begin to work without feeling like I'm going to be sick…"

"You're being surprisingly cordial," he commented, a slight smirk on his lips. He scrubbed the woman's skin clean with much less dedication.

"You missed a spot," she pointed out. "I dunno… I'm still trying to prochess what you said back at that Inn… Do you really think having a medic on each team is a good idea?"

Orochimaru nodded, scrubbing at the spot he'd missed. She let out an appreciative breath and used her fingers to brush her bangs back out of her face again. She didn't say anything but immediately set to healing Yawaraka's internal injuries.

He wasn't sure, but he was almost certain that he could hear her muttering under her breath. Something about the idea being impossible if she couldn't stand the sight of blood anymore….

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI LOOKED UP at the sound of the door opening, his knuckles aching from being clenched together so tightly. His hands were cradled in his lap, fingers laced together and squeezing as tight as humanly possible. The waiting hadn't been the hardest part. It was the worrying.

Inoichi had occasionally given him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but even he was worried.

When Tsunade staggered out of the room, Orochimaru following close behind with a watchful eye, Kakashi didn't say anything at first. When she plopped down in the chair next to him, staring at the floor in silence, was when Kakashi finally opened his mouth to ask the question that had been running through his mind for the past several hours.

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Yeah."

"Good…. Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

It was an old habit, calling her Tsunade-sama. The suffix might not have been necessary at this point in this timeline but it was to him. Besides, a little flattery couldn't hurt, could it? He truly was appreciative.

The tears stockpiling in the corners of his eyes did wonders to reinforce that notion. Kakashi found himself on his feet and moving towards the door to his mother's room before he could even tell he was doing it. His father followed, having sat like a stone just outside the door. No bathroom breaks, no moving, no talking. Just waiting. He'd been trying to act fine for so long that he just shut down when the worrying became real.

Kakashi pulled himself up onto the ledge of the bed, taking his mother's hand within his own smaller hands. It was disturbing. The last time he'd so desperately held someone's hand like this was when Kurenai was taking in her last, haggard breaths. He'd arrived just after she'd received news of Asuma's death. She'd set about killing herself and she'd succeeded. It was one of the sadder things that Kakashi had been forced to witness in his previous timeline. The agony on her face…. He remembered her whispering that the baby would've been stillborn. She'd lost her only connection to Asuma.

As Kakashi held his mother's hand in both of his own, he watched his father enter the room. Perhaps his father had ended up killing himself over the death of his wife, not the scorn of the village. Something inside of him clicked as he realized that _that _ was much more likely to him. The timing here had changed things, but perhaps… perhaps before this had been the undoing of his father.

Sakumo didn't acknowledge his son when he sat down, his simply sat at the head of the bed, and pulled his wife partially into his lap. He began to hum a melody that Kakashi felt he should remember but knew he would never be able to place unless someone else told its origin. Would he have acted in this fashion in regards to Anko's death if there had not been a war? Would he have killed himself?  
There were many days that he'd thought about it, even as a teenager… Perhaps he might have done it if the others hadn't needed him so much. Sakura was the one who kept him going. Her loss of Sasuke had caused her great depression; she had thought he didn't know but he had. He'd kept tabs on her. He'd been there, watching over her when her family had neglected to pick up on the clues. He knew she'd contemplated suicide. She'd even planned it out a couple of times, but he'd always been there to foil it in ways unknown to her.

This was it. The life of a ninja… To decide whether or not a life was worth it. Whether your _own_ life was worth it. In the end, we all died at some point. Kakashi watched as his mother op ened her eyes and immediately turned to her husband, latching on to him with all she was worth. All ninja worth their salt had probably considered suicide at some point. Even Naruto and Sasuke had, when they were children. Naruto because of his plight and Sasuke because of his. Kakashi had protected them then, as well. Perhaps it was no wonder that he'd gotten the students that he had.

"Kaa-san…" he whispered gently, his voice sounding thicker than he intended. He brought a hand up to clear away the tears he was sure were there. He was surprised to find his face soaked with tears, his mask completely darkened by their presence. He hadn't realized he was so affected by all of it.

"My little shinme," she whispered in return, holding the hand he'd been clinging to back out to him. Greedily, he accepted it. He scuttled across the bed and cocooned himself against her side, wrapping the blanket around them. "I told you it would be okay."

"You didn't know that."

"Yes I did. As long as you survive then things will be okay. Because I won't have it any other way," she said softly, reaching around him awkwardly so that she could cup his cheek. "Parents should never be forced to bury their child…"

Kakashi was hit with the image of Kurenai sobbing heavily against his shoulder as she bled to death, whispering over and over that he'd never know what it was to lose a child. He'd lost everything but that and _that _ was just too much for any woman to bear. "Aa." It was all he needed to say because it was the truth.

His father sniffed loudly and let out a shuddering sigh. "We're a bunch of namby-pamby excuses of ninja, you know that?"

"Aa, I know," smiled Kakashi. That wasn't entirely true, but it did make him smile and a smile was what he needed right now.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU mean you're not _coming_?" demanded Kakashi, a tone of disbelief pervading his voice.

Sakumo shifted uncomfortably, wrapping a hand around his wife's shoulders. "Well, your mother is still needed here and I'm staying to aid in Uzu's rehabilitation. I almost lost her once… don't make me feel like I'm losing her again."

The last words were hissed so that only Kakashi could hear them. Everyone else—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Inoichi, Tsunade, and himself—were all ready to leave and were just about to set off. Jiraiya lifted an eyebrow expectantly and Kakashi stared at the ground in indecision.

He felt selfish but he couldn't help that. "What about me?" he asked quietly, lifting his gaze to meet his father's anguished eyes.

"You'll stay with Nenshou. He's got a daughter, I'm sure they could use the company. Apparently she doesn't get out much…" Sakumo smiled sadly and ruffled Kakashi's hair.

Kakashi stared at the ground for a moment, trying to gather the energy to look excited, or at least to pretend he wasn't miserable. Again and again he could hear Kurenai sobbing into his ear that he just didn't understand. He hadn't understood how it felt to lose a lover until later. He hoped he never knew the pain of losing a child.

Finally he lifted his head and gave his father a smile. "Alright, then. I'll try to have fun."

Sakumo suddenly pulled him into a tight hug, sensing that his son was trying his best to make him happy. "Once Uzu is back on its feet and we can find someone else to take over we will, I swear it. Then we'll come home and your mother will teach you things and I'll… I'll know how to cook! I'll do more for you, I swear it."

"...Arigato, papa." Kakashi hugged him back fiercely for a moment. "What about the family jutsus?"

"Use the scrolls. Try to get at least the first one mastered before I come back and I'll teach you some things that aren't on the scrolls, okay?"

"Hai," affirmed Kakashi. He gave his father's hair a quick tug before disengaging and trotting over to Jiraiya. "Don't have too much fun without me!"

"Geez, kid, you give the longest goodbyes…" muttered Inoichi, puffing his lip out in agitation.

"'S not a goodbye," reasoned Kakashi. "It's a… see ya later."

Inoichi smirked and punched him in the shoulder with the intent of fun. "Whatever, gaki."

Jiraiya lifted his hand by way of parting and nodded to Sakumo. "We'll have to spar again next time we meet."

Sakumo smiled and nodded in agreement. Yawaraka darted forward and clutched Kakashi tightly in a hug before her servants could frown upon the "imperfect behavior."

"Customs be damned. I'm saying 'see you later' properly!" she gushed, letting her tears fall onto her sons shirt. Tsunade's eyes watered and she looked away.

"Dammit, Jiraiya, you're wearing too much cologne again!" she hissed, elbowing him in the ribs. Jiraiya let out an 'oof!' of surprise and gave her a dirty look.

"I haven't showered in days woman!"

Everyone fell silent for a moment and Tsunade glared at Jiraiya. "What?"

"That's even worse you ingrate!" she bellowed, smacking him in the back of the head. He cowered away from her, hands covering his head.

Orochimaru rolled his eyes. "Enough! You fight like a married couple."

"I would never marry her unless she promised to stop throttling me like a stepchild!" roared Jiraiya, pointing a finger at her in an accusatory manner. Tsunade rolled her eyes and turned to Yawaraka who was trying in vain to thank her.

Yawaraka smiled serenely and collected Tsunade's hands within her own. Tsunade's shoulders tensed up in an uncomfortable manner, but Yawaraka ignored the gesture. She turned Tsunade's hands over and held them in one hand and with the other she traced a spiral. "For good luck," she explained. Then she reached into her hip pouch and placed a medium sized screw-top container of Uzu medicinal balm into Tsunade's hands. "For good health."

Tsunade smiled and bowed slightly. "Arigato," she murmured, pocketing the jar of salve. Yawaraka nodded and stepped back, ignoring the aghast looks of her servants. Kakashi memorized the gesture of drawing the spiral into the palm and mentally bookmarked it for further review at a later time.

With that, they set off on their trek in a comfortable, humbled silence. Kakashi idly noted the thickness of the trees was increasing, signifying a return to older growth portions of the forest. The trees around Uzu were continually being replanted in an effort to undo the effects of war before it was over.

Inoichi busied himself with practicing hand seals as they ran, evidently wanting to improve his speed. Kakashi thought that was a wise endeavor and soon fell into the practice as well, acknowledging that his young hands were still clumsy and often stumbled over the more complicated ones.

"Ya know," Jiraiya's voice began, breaking the silence that had cloaked the group for the past hour. "She must really have been thankful to give you something like that…"

"Eh?" Tsunade turned to look at Jiraiya, confusion on her face.

Jiraiya pressed a hand to his chin as he thought. The sound of his getas grew increasingly annoying to Kakashi as he waited in earnest for a reply from the older man. Why had it been special? "Medicinal things like salves and balms are hardly ever given to those not from Uzu or related in some way. For her to do such a thing… she must really see something in you. Especially if she wished you good luck. The Uzu people are notorious for their good luck… It's not something they take lightly."

Tsunade fell silent for a while. "It's not something I take lightly, either. I have the worst luck, remember?"

"Aa, we remember," Orochimaru said sourly. Tsunade's face fell for a moment and then she shrugged. Silence settled over them once again and they continued on that way for the rest of the day. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but one of familiarity and ease. Kakashi was glad when they stopped for the night, because his young body was dreadfully sore and tired. Being the youngest of the group had many disadvantages, but he was certain this had to be one of the worst ones.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"OHAYO, KAKASHI... THIS is my daughter, Kurenai." Kakashi looked on with interest as Nenshou stepped back to reveal his daughter that he thought Kakashi had never met. Kakashi easily masked the sour expression that begged to spring forth.

He repressed thoughts of her in the future, letting only the good ones come through. She was wildly funny once you got past her inferiority complex. She smiled shyly at him, anxiously returning the wave he offered. Kakashi set down his bag and began to pulse chakra into his bracelet, wondering if Anko was close enough by that she could get the message. He wanted them to meet now; they'd been friends in the future but Anko needed another friend now. She couldn't always be hanging over him. If she did get the message, she'd meet him tomorrow at their usual training ground.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kakashi," he said politely, bowing as was customary. Kurenai returned the exchange, stumbling over her words in a fashion startlingly similar to Hinata's. Kakashi smiled in amusement. So that was why Hinata and her got on so well.

"Well, I'll leave you to play. I have grown up stuff to attend to."

Kakashi nodded as Nenshou walked away, mumbling under his breath about finding the perfect tea to achieve his goals.

"Why does your father love tea so much?" he asked, picking up a piece of paper and folding a perfect paper crane. He handed it to Kurenai who toyed with it for a moment, a soft smile on her lips.

She frowned then and sighed, setting the crane down on the low table before them. "Not supposed to talk about it, but… Kaa-san is very sick. She needs it to get better."

Kakashi fell silent for a moment and then picked up the crane, turning it over in his hands. "My mom just got injured quite badly and almost died… Tsunade-sama saved her. Maybe she can—"

"It's n-no use. The t-tea's the only way…" Kurenai smiled sadly and grabbed the crane from Kakashi's hands. "Bet ya can't d-do it without lookin'."

She stuttered when she was upset. It was cute, in a way. But Kakashi didn't have time for cute. He shrugged and closed his eyes, his hands moving with motions long ago memorized. She frowned when he produced a perfect crane.

"They haven't t-taught me to make these yet," she confessed. "Wanna … w-wanna teach me?"

"Sure." Kakashi sighed inwardly as he taught her the different bends and folds that were necessary to produce the crane. When she finally produced one herself, it looked lopsided and awkward. "Don't worry, you'll get it," he assured, patting her on the head."

He wandered away from the table, looking at the various pictures spread around the room. Her room was done up in bright pinks and greens; a Sakura tree was painted on the wall and the petals fanned out across the wide wall and onto another. "I like your room," he stated.

"Thanks, Kakashi-kun!" said Kurenai, a smile blooming on her face. Kakashi was pleased to see that even her crimson eyes were crinkled up in delight.

"Hey you wanna spar?" he asked, picking up a bright pink alarm clock and studying it for a moment before setting it down. She nodded excitedly and then faltered.

"I… W-we only just started learning taijutsu…"

"That's alright. I'll teach you!" he offered with a smile that met his eyes. Kurenai smiled broadly and grabbed his hand before practically dragging him to the yard outside. Kakashi smirked inwardly, wondering if, with his help, she'd ascend the ranks a lot faster this time. He sure hoped so.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"PRETTY SOON, SHE'LL probably be referring to him as Kakashi-nii," Nenshou muttered in amusement, pulling back from the window that he'd been peering through. Jiraiya nodded in agreement and then sighed, placing his hands on the table.

"Back to business," Jiraiya said with a sigh. He pulled a scroll from the folds of his shirt and began to unroll it. "Fix the perimeter, if you would."

"Understood."

Nenshou began to move about the room with swiftness that was befitting of a Jonin, erecting a sound-proof barrier via ninjutsu. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"Well…" Jiraiya began uncomfortably. "It's about Kakashi."

"Is it about his dreams? Did they get worse? I knew I should've come, too… There's something wrong with him…. You have no idea the intensity of those nightmares."

Jiraiya's face grew dark as he stared at the table. Nenshou sat down across from him, frowning when he realized that Jiraiya looked like he was physically in pain. "I've seen his nightmares…"

"As have I…" admitted Nenshou. Jiraiya looked up in surprise, his heart leaping into his mouth.

"I don't know how he's seen the kinds of things he's seen, but… his dreams are too real for them to be normal. Did you… am I cleared to hear this information?" asked Nenshou, folding his hands in his lap. His shoulders were hunched over in discomfort; he wasn't ready for this.

"Aa, but you can't speak of it. It's the highest clearance level." Jiraiya pressed his hand against the table, his fingers fanning out. He scowled suddenly and leaned forward so he was leaning over the table. "He's a very unique… boy. He's been through a lot. He's…. well, he's not really a boy."

"…Nani?"

"He's a grown man. He's… He was selecting by the Rokudaime Hokage to travel back through time and fix things to prevent an out and out war that utterly devastates and destroys Konoha. He's basically been tasked with saving the world."

Nenshou bit his lip, tilting his head to the side. A smile spread across his lips as he stared at Jiraiya. "Ya know, it's funny. I could've sworn you just said that a boy is supposed to save the world… Oh, and that not _only _isn't he a boy, but he's a full-grown man in the body of a child."

"I did not stutter," reaffirmed Jiraiya.

"Then I'm just hallucinating. How did you drug my tea? I'm meticulous about checking…" Nenshou narrowed his eyes as he tried to calculate.

"Nenshou! I'm not joking. This is a serious matter," snapped Jiraiya, slamming his hand down on the table. Nenshou jumped, having truly believed that he was the one at fault for hearing what he was hearing. "I can have it proven to you, but at this point, you must trust me. I'm here to recruit you for a secret organization known as Tenko."

"Tenko? What's that got to do with… Lightning. Fire caused by lightning. This is all about _him_?" Nenshou pushed back from the table, wandering over to the window where he pressed a finger to the blinds and pulled the horizontal slats down so he could peer out at the gray-haired boy. He turned around, his face set with grim resolve. "What does this secret organization involve?"

Jiraiya smiled slightly as he began to explain in more detail. It looked like their numbers were growing. The only problem with that was the possibility of it getting out. Perhaps he could make a seal to prevent them from inadvertently sharing information…. That just might work.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

GAI AND GENMA regarded Jiraiya with curious looks, wondering why Kakashi hadn't joined them for their usual team meeting.

"Is something wrong Jiraiya-sensei?" asked Genma, taking the senbon from his lips and holding it between his fingers like a cigarette. Jiraiya pretended not to notice.

"Not wrong in the sense of there being a problem, but there is going to be a change," admitted Jiraiya, resting his hands on his knees. At this, Gai and Genma sat up a little bit straighter.

Gai stared at the ground, his eyes drooping as he realized the change. "It's about Kakashi, isn't it?"

Jiraiya nodded with a frown, lacing his hands behind his head. "It can't be helped. The Hokage requested that he be put on a team of weaker Chunin so that it was more well-balanced. He's returning to his old teacher Minato-san."

"I suppose he'll be happy…" mumbled Genma in an injured tone. "I remember you mentioning that his old sensei refused to train him and that was why he joined us."

Jiraiya suddenly moved forward to kneel before his two students. "It's not a permanent ordeal. He'll still do missions with us from time to time. But… for a while we'll be a three man squad. It'll give me more time to devote to the training of both of you—something I feel I've been neglecting."

"Really?" Gai straightened instantly. "That's great!" He suddenly slumped over slightly. "Will… Will Kakashi still train with us from time to time?"

"I'll try to set some things up from time to time, yes," agreed Jiraiya. "He'll be part of another team now, though. He'll need to do teambuilding exercises and work with them…. That requires him being around them a great deal. So we won't see him as much. But, such is the life of the ninja."

Normally Jiraiya wouldn't put such effort into cheering up a team over losing a teammate to a routine team swap, but this instance was very different. They'd just lost both a sensei and a comrade to battle… Losing yet another teammate had to be a harsh blow.

Genma stared at the ground with quiet reserve, his mind wandering. "Why don't we get another teammate?"

"I specifically requested we didn't so that Kakashi could come and train as needed. This way we can hang on to him without letting another teammate in with the possibility of them leaving as well. I may not look it but I'm a sentimental old man… I don't want to see you two hurt if I can help it."

Gai and Genma smiled at him then, both of them holding out their hands for him to hold. "Team Jiraiya it is then," whispered Genma, using his free hand to return the senbon to his mouth. Jiraiya smiled and tightened his grip on their hand.

"Team Jiraiya," he whispered in return, his eyes alight with inspiration. "I like the sound of that."

And so the trio became Team Jiraiya, a trio of romantic men with many an idle notion about women and hardly a clue on how to court them. It could be said that they were a team of fools, but it was a fact that they were a team that would fight off the rest of the world to protect their loved ones. Team Jiraiya: poetic justice at its best.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"ARE YOU SURE you want to do this?" Kakashi asked nervously, the painful tightness in his chest clenching just a little bit tighter as he regarded his sensei.

Minato looked around the small, underground room with a pensive sigh. He regarded each of the five males in the room, first Kakashi, then Sakumo, then Jiraiya, then Nenshou, until finally his gaze rested on Inoichi. He knew what he was getting himself into and that was worst part. He knew in a theoretical sense that experiencing this would hurt, but little did he know just how much he was going to experience.

Kakashi was dreading the exchange. He was ashamed for his idolized sensei to see the atrocities enacted upon his son, the savior of the village. Would this change things? Kakashi cringed, remembering that his own treatment of Naruto—while definitely positive—was seriously lacking. He could've done so much more for the child than he had.

"I am sure," confirmed Minato, weariness settling upon him like an invisible cloak.

Sakumo nodded in affirmation and motioned for the three of them to lie down on the futons that had been laid side by side. Inoichi was in the middle, with Minato on his right and Kakashi on the left. Inoichi instructed both Minato and Kakashi to close their eyes, sighing in resignation when they complied. He was apprehensive about this as well. It hurt him every time that he was forced to witness the events. Perspective was gained each time he viewed the collective memories of Kakashi and Naruto, though.

The world became a swirling mass of dark objects and shapes as Inoichi began to implement the transference of minds. They were all being transported into Kakashi's mindscape—he'd grown more skilled with the jutsu and no longer required to have his hand on the head of the person he was casting the jutsu onto. Touching them was enough, but holding hands was preferred. It was a more secure connection because it fostered a sense of closeness and his hands were less likely to slip off.

Soon Kakashi's mindscape began to take shape and almost immediately Kakashi began to transmit memories. He obviously wanted to get it over with. Minato squinted with his incorporeal eyes as he began to see what looked like Kakashi staring up at the body of his father, which hung from a rope. It was still swinging back and forth. He repressed the gasp of horror when he realized that this was what Kakashi had walked in on when he was only eight. It was hard to keep the fact that the two timelines were different because he couldn't help the sudden pang of loss deep within him at seeing Sakumo's lifeless corpse .

The scene changed and suddenly he was staring at himself, along with an older version of Kakashi, and the two Chunin that had been recently assigned to his team. They were doing team exercises. Kakashi looked grim. The others appeared to be having fun. Again the scene changed, and it was Kakashi and Minato having a small conversation. He could feel the appreciation of Kakashi in the memory. In the back of his mind the word "tou-san" registered and he realized how important he'd been to Kakashi. How important he _still _was to the gray-haired ninja. He felt guilty for not training him now.

Suddenly there was commotion. Kakashi had lost an eye and was bleeding profusely. The girl-Rin was her name—was watching as Kakashi struggled to save the boy—his name was Obito. When he failed, the scene went dark and it changed to show Kakashi waking up to find out what had happened. The despair was so intense that Minato almost vomited.

Yet again there was a flicker; time progressed forward. Minato's face was carved into the side of the mountain with the other faces, but it was night and the shadows made it look scary. The sounds of villagers screaming was terrifying as well. There was a loud roar and the sound of demolition. Minato whirled around to see what it was and he felt his mouth open in surprise when he saw that it was a giant fox.

"_Kyuubi,_" thought Kakashi, his thought ringing in Minato's head.

The image of his wife, clinging onto their newborn son gripped Minato and suddenly he could see himself painting the seal onto the soft flesh of the boy's tummy.

"_No, no, no! Please tell me I didn't do it!" _he demanded, panic rising within him. A son? He'd have a son? What was he doing!? He couldn't possibly seal a demon into his son…

"_It's okay," _ Naruto said shyly. Minato visibly jumped and Kakashi warped his mindscape to show Naruto. The rest of the scenes faded away until they were in a white room with bare walls and a spotless floor.

"_I'm so sorry," _ thought Minato. He longed to wrap his arms around his son and help him but he couldn't.

"_Don't be. You sacrificed your life so that I could carry the Kyuubi. We both had a duty to protect our village," _Naruto pointed out, smiling gently.

His father reached out to touch him and Inoichi hastily did his best to solidify the connection. He was relieved when Minato's hand connected with Naruto's cheek and didn't pass through it. Minato immediately wrapped his son up in a hug and didn't let go until Kakakshi awkwardly tapped him on the shoulder.

"_There's still more to see…"_

Minato nodded and Kakashi began to remember again all the things that he wanted nothing more than to forget. Naruto at a young age, being cared for by a vicious surrogate. Naruto in the orphanage. Naruto leaving to live by himself because the children and people there were too mean. The struggles with the people of the village that Naruto endured. The struggles that Naruto had to face with himself and a desire to end it all…

Minato was livid by this point, his faith in the village shattered. "_No more! I can't—no more."_

_ "You have to," _said Kakashi, shaking his head to negate Minato's wish. "_You wanted to see it. Now you have to."_

Minato let out a scowl of misery as he watched Naruto graduate. "_I should be there! I should've been there for him. Or his mother… What happened to Kushina?" _

Kakashi had forgotten about that. He rewound to show how Kushina died in the battle when she went to try and help fight. He watched with misery as his sensei crumpled and began to tear up. "_This is all… wrong. Why didn't we stop this?"_

_ "That's why I'm here," _ Kakashi soothed, rubbing his sensei's back awkwardly. He still looked like a child for the sake of his sensei. After all of the memories were gone through he could revert back to his original state.

"_Then show it all to me," _demanded Minato, his resolution crushing his doubts. "_We will fix things. Naruto will have a better life…. I promise."_

Further and further into the future they went, with Kakashi tearing up on his own. He could distinctly feel the hurt of each death and each tragedy they witness. It didn't get easier to see or hurt less no matter how many times he witnessed it. Some days, like today, when he was feeling particularly sentimental, it hurt worse than the first time he'd experienced the loss.

He cringed and shed a tear when he watched Sarutobi die, when he witnessed the death of one of Naruto's precious people. He despaired when Sasuke defected and later when Gaara was killed. He rejoiced when Gaara was brought back to life. Minato knew that all of this was leading up to something much worse, he just wasn't sure what.

When it got the war, while Naruto was Hokage, he despaired. He mourned each and every loss because he could _feel _his student's pain. He could feel the heartbreak of each and every loss and it sucker-punched him right in the gut each time.

After it was all over, he lay there staring at the ceiling as his mind tried to process senseless death and senseless death. He couldn't help the tears that leaked out of the corners of his eyes, but he didn't try to either. His mind was running afoul with all the possible solutions to fix the problem—it was a situation he was determined to fix.

He rolled his head to the side, ignoring the stares of Sakumo, Nenshou, and Jiraiya. "Kakashi," he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion, "We will fix this. There will be no end to Konoha."

"Damn right," whispered Kakashi. It was slightly out of character for him to have such a gung-ho response but he couldn't help himself. It felt good to be so certain. It felt good to have Minato on his side again.

They would find a way to change things. They would find a way to fix Team Minato and prevent certain things from taking place. The only question was: just how much could they fix and what exactly needed to be sacrificed for the greater good?

It was a question that Kakashi knew would continue to haunt him for the rest of his life.

* * *

**Author's Note: What do you think? I wrote this chapter without using a guideline. Do you guys think it flows better when I write this way or when I use the outline? :p Let me know!**

**Also, another random question. Do you guys play the song at the top when you read the chapter? I try to find ones that encompass either the entirety of the chapter or the focal point of the chapter. **


	16. Snuffed Out

**Author's Note: I know this seems jumpy, but it's supposed to. He's having flashbacks, just a heads up. Flashbacks won't take up entire chapter but I'll try to make them interesting at least. I hate it. Feel free to let me know if you hate it, but be gentle. I need my ego intact. **

**Chapter Sixteen: Snuffed Out**

"_Love is from what I've heard, but my heart's learned to kill. Oh, mine has learned to kill. Oh, I said I could rise from the harness of our goals. Here come the tears, but like always, I let them go." _Love is All by Tallest Man On Earth

* * *

KAKASHI HAD NEVER truly thought it would come to this. He'd assumed that he'd have more time and that he'd be able to do things differently. He'd thought a lot of things... apparently he'd thought wrong.

As he lay there, bleeding and injured, he reflected upon the few things he'd managed to change. He knew he wasn't dying, but that only made it harder for him to accept the events that were unfurling before him.

He remembered meeting his team, while his sensei introduced him, and the picnic they'd had to serve as a team-building exercise. He didn't remember the quaint details of everything that followed, but he remembered some things. When he "first" met with his team, though, _that _had been his favorite.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"OBITO, RIN, THIS is Kakashi . He's the third team member I was telling you about. He just got back from a long mission and-"

"Hey! I recognize you!" squealed Rin, clasping her hands beneath her chin. She smiled at him, batting her eye-lashes as flirtatiously as a nine-year old could. Kakashi wondered why she liked him this time around; he wasn't nearly as mysterious as he'd been before.

"I, uh,... What's your name again?" he asked, feigning ignorance. He had to pretend he hadn't met them before.

"I've watched you t—" Rin broke off, apparently realizing the weirdness of what she was about to say. "Well, actually, I've watched you train before... You train in the grounds right by my house," she confessed.

So that was how she knew him. Hmm. Kakashi smiled and turned to Obito. "What was your name? Obento?"

"No!" roared Obito, pointing his finger at Kakashi in accusatory manner. "You did that on purpose!"

"Sorry, it's Oberto, right?" Kakashi smiled lazily, closing his eyes in the process.

"Obito!" snapped Obito. Kakashi couldn't help but smile again. He knew they'd be friends this time around.

"Maa, maa, calm down, eh? I was kidding."

Obito huffed and looked away with a grouchy expression. '_It's scary how much they're like us, isn't it?_' thought Naruto, leaning against an incorporeal elbow in Kakashi's mindscape. Kakashi ducked into his own mind to study the sad posture of Naruto.

He pulled the younger man into a hug and patted his back with a sad sigh. '_I miss him, too..._'

The feeling of being flicked between the eyes brought Kakashi back to reality. "I said, do you like ramen?"

Kakashi chuckled and nodded, though inside he was hit with a sudden pang of nostalgia. It was a strange feeling, to yearn for events that hadn't happened yet and the presence of someone who hadn't yet been born.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"WE'RE BETTER THAN this! Why are we getting the cat for the stupid Daimyo's wife?" whined Obito, stomping his ten year old feet like a child of a much younger age might. Minato fixed him with a cool look and patted him on the shoulder.

"We'll get a better mission soon, but for now this is what you're ready for."

"When do we get to take the Chunin Exam? I'm tired of these missions!" growled Obito, running a hand down his face in feigned annoyance.

Rin shifted uncomfortably and rubbed her chin. "Obito, you'll never get promoted if you always act like that. Kakashi is ready to take the exam but I don't know about either of-"

"I think you're all ready you just need to mature a little bit," confessed Minato. "So you won't take it until next year when I know you can all pass without getting killed."

"You can get killed in the Chunin Exam?" asked Rin, her eyes wide and fearful.

Minato nodded. "Yes, that's why we should have a medical ninja on each team, to protect the others who get hurt. It's lucky that you're at least partially versed in the use of medical chakra." At this, Minato smiled at the girl and mussed her hair much to her chagrin. She calmly used her fingers to comb her hair back into place before looking at the floor thoughtfully.

"I guess I should get more involved in my studies if it's really that dangerous... I don't want either of my teammates to die. You guys are like... family, really."

Kakashi smiled at this, pleased to have achieved his goal of closeness. Obito only smiled and nodded, punching Kakashi in the shoulder before darting off and announcing that if he caught the cat first then they had to pay for his lunch.

"I never agreed to that!" reminded Kakashi, running a hand through his hair before darting off after him, knowing that Obito was only half-serious. It felt good to be a kid again and pretend that he didn't have a care in the world—even if he was only pretending and it was only for a little while.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

_ "_CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING Chunin," praised Minato, smiling of each of his students. "I never would've thought that all three of you would make Chunin at once!"

The latter of his sentiments was naturally a lie; he'd known that all of them would make Chunin because Kakashi had told him how it happened the first time around. It was only a matter of doing things properly again. He couldn't even remember what had occurred in the Chunin events so he'd been forced to improvise all over again. However, considering that he was now a Tokubetsu Jonin, it hadn't been very challenging for him.

"How did it go?" asked Minato.

"Well," began Rin, her eyes darting nervously to Obito. "Obito got hurt pretty badly but my medical jutsu came in handy. I'm just glad that no one had any lasting damage."

Minato smiled and patted them on the head. "Alright, now that you're Chunin... the training becomes more intense."

Kakashi rose a brow but otherwise didn't speak. He would wait until later.

When the others had gone, he remained to speak with his sensei. "What are you planning?"

"I'm doing things exactly as I did them last time," admitted Minato, his eyes hardening with resolve. "It's the only way."

Kakashi's heart felt cold inside of his chest. The same as before? That meant... an ultimate end for Obito, no matter what. "B-but... I thought we were going to save them?"

"No, Kakashi-kun," said Minato, using the suffix to remind Kakashi that he truly cared about him. "We're saving Konoha. Obito is the sacrifice that must be made."

"But he'll be brainwashed by Madara!" protested Kakashi, trying to keep the keening, worried tone out of his voice. He wasn't sure whether to be distraught or enraged. This was his bestfriend—he'd actually gotten to know him this time around. He knew that Obito's favorite food was Dango, he loved sharing secrets, and even that the boy flew kites when he had nothing better to do.

Minato shook his head sadly, affirming what Kakashi was saying. "Do you truly think there's another way?"

Kakashi immediately began to think of other ideas but the seal on his back began to burn terribly. He ignored it, trying harder and harder to think of ways to save his friend. The seal began to sear into his flesh, until it began to literally burn him. He cried out in pain, raising his hands over his head to press his hands to the hot flesh at his shoulders and all over his back. It was no use; he couldn't reach.

"Kakashi? Do you think there's a way?"

"Y- agh! No, there's not another way," panted Kakashi, tears forming in his eyes. The pain he could deal with. Losing a friend... that hurt him much more. "There's no other way..."

"I'm sorry, Kakashi... This isn't easy for me, either. Helping to raise him and train him... when all along I know he's going to die. I'm going to make him strong enough to make it to where I'm ending his life as we know it..."

Kakashi bowed his head, feeling guilty. He knew his mentor was just doing what was best for Konoha—the searing pain in his back provided him with the information that clearly said there wasn't another way to save Obito and trying to do so would only hurt Konoha—but it still hurt. It hurt because all he'd wanted to do was save Obito. It was hard to know what _would _be and simply allow it to happen. Knowing _a _future was a heavy burden because if things didn't turn out better than the future you knew, you felt like a failure for not being able to change it. Right now, Kakashi felt like a failure more than anything.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

THE DAY HE made Jonin had been a horrible day. He'd been trying to put it off, trying to prolong his time with his friends but each time the seal made him sick until he finally resolved to just go get it over with as he had in his original time line.

As he sat with Minato and Rin, waiting for Obito to show up and use the excuse of helping and old lady, Kakashi struggled to resist the urge to cry. The pain inside of him was building up to boiling point. He wanted to vomit, throw a fit, break something—anything but pretend he was okay. It'd been four years and his father was still stuck in Uzu, honoring his wife's duty to the village. Nenshou had become a second father-figure to Kakashi, as had Jiraiya and Minato. Kurenai had become a fast friend—like a sister, really—but Rin had become an even better one.

As they sat there, two of three pretending with all their might that they were enjoying the picnic, Kakashi had to smile at the irony. Anko was jealous of Rin. The sheer fact that she was jealous made Kakashi wonder if maybe he and Rin had a chance when she got older, but there was a strange prickling sensation in the seal. He couldn't tell if it was good or bad; it simply was.

When Obito finally showed up, he didn't have a present for Kakashi. Kakashi wished that the boy had brought a present—he didn't want what he knew Obito would end up offering. It just wasn't right. Yet, he knew it would happen all the same. Such was life—and death.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"KAKASHI! WAKE UP!" called a voice. Kakashi felt a subtle shaking in the area of his shoulders. The feeling intensified until he finally opened his eyes. Or rather, one of them. His left eye wouldn't open.

"No, not this dream again..." he muttered.  
"You're not dreaming," growled the voice. Kakashi looked over to see Minato's eyes locked onto his with a look of intense displeasure. "We have a problem."

"No... It can't be this time already!" Kakashi tried to shut his eyes and will himself back to sleep but it didn't work. The seal on his back grew hot to the touch and he knew that he wasn't dreaming. Slowly he felt the pain in his eye creeping into his senses. Rin had done it... where was Rin?

"Where's Rin?" he asked weakly, trying to sit up. Minato bit his lip.

"She's dead, Kakashi."

Kakashi closed his eyes and leaned back his head, pressing his white, even teeth into his lip to keep from screaming. A choke gurgle of a sob escaped him and dug his fingernails into his thigh in an effort to collect himself. It hadn't happened as it was supposed to. The ambush hadn't happened the same. He'd had faith that it would work out the same, because the seal hummed with warmth everytime he let things go as they happened. The loss of Rin, however, caused him literal pain. It was pain bad for Konoha. It was bad for _him_. He'd needed her.

He'd grown accustomed to her warm glances and her pretty smiles. The way his heart fluttered when she leaned too close to him, even though he denied the desire himself the desire to kiss her because they were too young.

A sudden memory of them sitting together beneath one of the large trees earlier that day washed over him in waves, liquid emotion flooding him.

Rin had grabbed his hand, a smile flitting across her lips as she traced a circle in his palm. "We're all connected," she'd said. Then she'd put a dot in the middle of the circle. "You just have to be able to see it, ya know?"

"Yeah?" he'd said, his smile more evident in his voice than on his masked face. She nodded, poking him on the nose in a flirtatious manner.

"Mhm! You and I are connected, too," she whispered, leaning in close to him. She didn't bother with his mask, but instead moved to press her lips against his anyway. In the back of his mind, the rational side of his brain protested. He swore to himself that he would have moved, even if Obito hadn't walked back in time to break them up.

Obito had been so angry... Kakashi felt terrible that Obito had seen them. He knew the boy was going to die and it left a dark taste in his mouth to have to be the one to send him off in such a bad way.

He'd apologized profusely. He couldn't remember what had happened that caused Obito to die this time—the seal put him in too much pain. Minato could only describe it as terrifying to watch. Kakashi would no doubt have tried to protect his teammates but the seal wouldn't let him. It flared up, contracting his muscles in such a way that he was literally bent backward, his spine bending in unnatural ways.

Minato slapped Kakashi across the face, pulling him back to the present. "Pull it together, Kakashi!"

Kakashi opened his mouth, trying to articulate... _something_, anything. But nothing came out. He only gasped for air, trying somehow to keep living when all he wanted was to die. This was his fault. In his own timeline he'd killed Rin himself, but somehow this felt worse. This wasn't what he'd wanted. He could've changed things... it could've been different.

Kakashi tried once more to speak before he simply sat back and let his eyes fall into his lap. For the first time he realized he was sitting in a hospital bed, his entire body bandaged and battered.

"We were ambushed," explained Minato. Kakashi was suddenly hit with the image of Minato flinging a brace of shuriken at enemy ninja. They all struck home, protruding from the head of the ninja at deadly angles. Kakashi watched the mental image in a detached manner as the man fell to the ground. When was that? Was it the ambush? Or when... when? Why couldn't he remember ?"It was different than last time. There were more... they seemed intent on killing you, and you specifically. They kept calling you the Reaper."

_The White Reaper,_ Kakashi corrected him inside his head. This _was _his fault.

"They did their best to protect you; hell _I _did my best. The seal... it almost killed you. When you woke up... something was wrong with you. You weren't the Kakashi I knew. You began to attack everyone and... Obito tried to calm you down but you nearly killed him. He and Rin had to work together to knock you back out so you wouldn't hurt yourself. Or them. That's what they told me after I returned to check on you.

"I needed to complete the objective—you kept screaming at me to finish the mission so I did. I took the risk and I delivered the document. It wasn't even the same one as your time line but I did as you said... We were attacked again when we were leaving."

Kakashi bent forward, cradling his head in his hands. He let out a whimper as his back creaked and protested vehemently but that didn't matter to him. He tried to find the words to speak, but still they didn't come.

"Obito... He was stabbed in the eye this time. How it didn't kill him I have no clue, but he suffered other injuries that caused severe bloodloss... I don't know, Kakashi. I don't know why it happened this way. You lost your eye trying to protect him like last time, but it was for nothing. You protested the gift the whole time, but he demanded it. I... I had to allow it."

"No!" screamed Kakashi, tearing at the gauze covering his eye. A panicked sob escaped him and he leaned back against the pillow, a howl of agony tearing from his lips. Minato had to grab him to refrain the boy from clawing at his new organ. "I didn't want it! I didn't want it!"

A medical ninja appeared in the doorway, immediately moving to the bed. She called for other medical ninja to restrain Kakashi and asked Minato to leave. He stared at Kakashi for a moment, his features that so painfully resembled Naruto riddled with shock as he gazed at his student. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

He stilled his trembling lip and nodded, closing the door behind him. All he could hear as he walked down the hallway were Kakashi's screams of dismay and the sound of the medical ninja trying to hold him still.

"I didn't want it! I didn't want it!"

He hadn't even been able to tell him about Rin... He doubted the man trapped inside the young boy's body would take it any better. The sound of the screams confirmed that notion.

Minato shuddered and raced to his home, leaping across the rooftops at a breakneck pace. It felt good to run; there would be no Hiraishin from him—not now. He needed to expend the pent up frustration.

When he returned to his home, he slammed the door behind him and collapsed against it, sliding down to the floor until his legs were pressed tightly to his chest and his arms were draped uselessly across them.

"Fuck!" He spat the word out contemptuously, longing for a redo. This wasn't right. He grabbed the nearest thing to him and threw it, inwardly relaxing just a fraction at the sound of breaking glass and wood.

A sob escaped him as he lamented his loss. He'd been prepared for Obito, but not for Rin. Not sweet little Rin with the clever quips and warm heart. His heart ached and his chest was tight with the feeling of loss for the students he'd been training to die.

After a while Minato crawled across the short hallway to collect whatever he'd broken. He was surprised and a little humiliated to see that it was the team photo of himself, Kakashi, Rin, and Obito. He'd never realize how poignant the split of the glass had been; the glass had oddly enough broken just so, splitting Minato and Kakashi from the other two

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI STARED AT his hands, restrained as they were, and longed for some sort of pain to ease the emotional pain coursing through him. His body was still weak but he didn't care. He wanted to fight. To scream. To _do _something.

Hell, he didn't even fully remember what it was that had happened to Rin. Minato had never been able to tell him and he hadn't been allowed back in to visit until Kakashi was deemed read to leave the facility. He wasn't in the mental ward, but he was restrained to his bed.

Naruto wasn't even bothering to speak to him or try to make him feel better. He knew better—nothing would make the man he was linked to feel better. Nothing but a good solid beat down. Kakashi wanted to fight and he a fight he would have.

It was the middle of the night, but he knew where he'd go when he got out. With a few careful twists and the implementation of a high-level escape jutsu, Kakashi freed his wrists from their restraints and bent down to undo his ankle shackles.

Something in his back popped, the shock of the sudden pain knocking all of the air out of him. He responded with a low grunt, his motion freezing. As the pain faded, he pushed through it and down toward his ankles so that he could free himself.

It took him nearly half an hour to get dressed but his body loosened up as he moved. He'd endured worse. He knew he'd need physical therapy or some high-level healing jutsu to get him back to a normal functioning level, but he didn't care at the moment. His mind was in a more morbid fashion than it'd been in a long while.

"I'm not meant for happiness," he mumbled savagely as he yanked his ninja sandals on. His body screamed in protest, joints and bones creaking in collusion when he stalked toward the window with the intent to flee the room. His seal flared dangerously but he ignored it.

His feet carried him to where he needed to go. It was a modest home full of children that had no home to call their home—it was where Gai lived. He had the money to leave and live somewhere else but he chose to stay there.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU mean they're dead?" demanded Sakumo, his voice filled with disbelief. "What about-"

"He's alive. But I'm frankly terrified for him," explained Nenshou. Sakumo had only just arrived after catching wind of the news that Kakashi had made Jonin. He'd known what would follow that promotion but this hadn't been what he'd expected. He'd set out days ago in an effort to be here to help his son through the loss of Obito, but now he was faced with a more tasking endeavor.

Yawaraka, who'd accompanied her husband, shifted uncomfortably and covered her mouth with a shaky hand. "My poor baby..."

"Where is he?" Sakumo asked, his voice taking on an authoritative tone again. Nenshou ignored the tone and complied with the request, telling Nenshou that his son was at the hospital. Immediately the other man took off, his wife following closely behind.

Sakumo and Yawaraka traveled together in silence, each of their hearts racing as they traveled to make sure that their "little boy" was alright. A myriad of things were running through their minds, but the main thought that each of them was thinking was "_How?" _

Neither of them could figured out what had happened, nor had they bothered to ask, but one thing was for sure—it left a bad feeling deep in the pit of their stomach and they knew it meant trouble for their son's future.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

Maito Gai sat up when he heard the sound of knocking at his window. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it registered that it was strange to hear knocking at his window when he was on the fourth floor, but the ninja half of his brain didn't feel phased by that at all.

He rolled over in bed, surprised to see Kakashi staring at him, pain riddling his masked features. What the... he'd heard about Kakashi's team but he had also heard that Kakashi was in the hospital and wouldn't be out for another few weeks.

"Kakashi?" he paused, unsure of whether to open his window and let him in or not.

Kakashi reached over to the window, his hand glowing faintly white as chakra pulsed through his hand and into the window. The latch lifted up and Kakashi let himself in, his face hidden in shadows as he purposefully avoided Gai's gaze.

"Hey," he said gruffly, his gray hair looking even darker in the dim light than Gai remembered. It had been a _long _time.

"Hey," returned Gai, his voice sounding equally abrupt. In the back of his mind, a dark voice was whispering things like "_What do you want? I finally got used to having a team without you and now you waltz back in here like everything's fine." _

In truth they hadn't seen in other or talked to each other in a year. Kakashi had stopped training with Team Jiraiya as he realized that his time with Team Minato was coming to a close. It had all happened to so fast... he couldn't believe how much time had passed. It felt like just yesterday he was coming home from Uzu to find that they'd finally be together again.

"Hi," Kakashi said lamely. "You, uh... We haven't trained in awhile, huh?"

Gai nodded carefully, knowing that Kakashi was in condition to do much of anything in the state that he was in. "Aa," he confirmed, his eyes weary.

"Well... come on. Let's go."

"Nani?"

"Let's go. Come on."

"Kakashi, it's-" Gai twisted to regard the small clock on his bedside table. "Only three in the morning. Train with your _own _team. We-"

"_Please, Gai." _

Gai looked up in surprise at the desperate tone of Kakashi's voice. His chest felt funny as he realized a certain distress in his old friend's voice. He wasn't sure what exactly was causing his friend to feel that way, but he couldn't just ignore it. He shelved his pride, preferring the time to hang out with his old friend rather than make a point of exacting some warped sort of revenge upon him.

"Okay," submitted Gai, walking over to the window. He didn't intend to let Kakashi do too much but he had to make the boy feel better somehow. Teammate or not, they were friends. Gai, secretly and selfishly, found himself hoping that Kakashi would become his teammate again.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

THE ROOM WAS empty. Sakumo frowned in consternation and pinched the blanket between his thumb and forefinger, pulling them up from the bed. He sniffed it subtly, trying to sense how long it had been since a body had inhabited the sheets. Not long, from the smell of it. The sound of thunder rung out in the sky, signifying the presence of rain.

Sakumo squatted down to look underneath the bed, just to be thorough. Yawaraka let out a small, choked sound and then immediately masked it with a cough. It was unbecoming of a Jonin level kunoichi to lose her bearings over a surprise such as this, even if it regarded her son.

"Has he been taken?" wondered Sakumo.

"No." Yawaraka lifted her nose in the air, holding her hands at her side rigidly as she felt for her son's chakra signature. "He's... in the village."

"You've already mapped out his signature? It's been years since we've even seen-"

"I made it a point to protect my son. We've obviously failed,"she spat, her voice laden with worry. "He wouldnt' have lost his teammates if we'd... At least one would've..."

Sakumo placed a soothing hand on her shoulder and let it trail down to the small of her back where he absently rubbed back and forth, worried himself. "Where is he?"

"I'm not sure.. only way to find out is to follow up on it and find him," she said with a sigh.

He nodded, his white hair falling into his eyes. "Poor bastard... I'm scared he'll do something reckless."

Yawaraka snorted, collecting a robe for her son. "Knowing him, he is."

Sakumo and Yawaraka stared at the open window for a moment, watching the curtain billow in the breeze before sighing and jumping through it. Sometimes Sakumo wished he'd been the one sent back to fix things so his son didn't have to shoulder the burden, but deep down he knew that Kakashi was the only one even remotely strong enough to pull it off.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"KAKASHI! I'M NOT going to hit you!" screeched Gai, trying to dodge all of Kakashi's wild punches.

"Just fucking hit me!" snarled Kakashi, gasping when his back popped mid-throw. His punch halted inches from Gai's face. Gai spun away, bringing his hands up defensively. "Why won't you-"

"Because you're already injured!"

"I'm fine!" lied Kakashi, his chest heaving. Each breath hurt him and each step sent crackles of pain up and down his back but he had to _do _something. He had to unleash his emotions some how. He deserved the pain.

"No you're not," pointed out Gai. Kakashi growled in frustration and smashed his fist into Gai's face. Gai stumbled and fell down, but quietly he picked himself back up. Kakashi let out a harsh pant of exertion as he tottered after his old teammate.

"See?" he panted. "I'm fine. Now fuckin' _fight back!_" He was shouting now, his voice cracking with emotional tension just as a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. Kakashi swung again, missing wildly. Gai simply stepped to the side, his hand darting out to jab Kakashi in the back, above his eighth set of ribs.

Kakashi grunted as pain coursed through him, the abused muscles reacting poorly to the touch of Gai's fingertips. He spun around, nailing Gai in the ribs. Gai hissed in pain but didn't flinch away. He redirected Kakashi's hand away from his body, and then began to bat Kakashi's hits away as though they were nothing.

"Why are you acting like this?" shouted Gai, his frustration finally bleeding into his voice. The sky opened up and the rain began to pour down around them. Kakashi began to say something that Gai couldn't quite hear. Gai leaned forward, trying to hear better, but it was for naught. Kakashi's fist connected with his temple and and he was sent flying—it was Kakashi's first decent hit all night.

Gai hit the ground with a thud, lying there dazed for a moment as the rain pelted down across the wide expanse of his body. His thin pajamas quickly became soaked and stuck to his frame. After laying there for thirty seconds, he rolled to his feet, intent on punching Kakashi in the jaw for being such a jerk.

"Why're you doing this?" he shouted, now struggling to be heard over the rain. Kakashi looked up at him, his face sad. How hadn't he noticed that? "What the hell happened to your eye?"

Kakashi stiffened, feeling the bandages covering his eye as he stared at the ground. "They're dead. My team is dead."

"W-what?" Gai's shoulers sagged as he stared at his friend. Was this what he was trying to do?

"Please. Just..." Kakashi trudged through the quickly forming mud towards Gai. Gai was surprised when Kakashi picked up his hand and curled it into a fist. "Please."

Gai paused for a moment, then nodded. He understood what Kakashi was doing. He wanted to just fight and not think about a thing. He cocked his arm back and then flung it forward, expecting Kakashi to at least dodge. He didn't. Before he could even pull the punch, his fist connected square with Kakashi's forehead. Kakashi's mask slipped down a little bit, but Kakashi paid it no mind. His fist launched forward, aiming for Gai's temple. Gai easily batted it away and struck out again, jabbing Kakashi in an area that didn't look injured.

It a way he was honored that Kakashi had picked him, above any of his other friends, to seek help from. In a weird way, he supposed he was helping his friend.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"DO WE STEP in, or let this continue?" asked Sakumo, turning to his wife with worry in his eyes. Yawaraka smiled slightly, brushing his wet hair out of his eyes.

"We let it continue. This is the best thing for him... I can see it in his eyes. They're best friends. He told me about this one... How he died avenging his student's death. If anyone can help him it's Gai." She sighed and glanced down at the soaked bathrobe in her lap.

Sakumo held his head in his hands, his long white hair falling over his face with a wet sound. How could it have happened this way? "Why did this happen?"

"I don't know," admitted Yawaraka. "I don't know what we should do, either. Do we find replacements and come home? Do we pretend things are normal so that he can get over i-"

"He'll never get over it."

Yawaraka turned her head to look at her husband in confusion.

"He told me in his timeline that I killed myself because I put my teammates before the mission. I deliberately threw a mission to save my teammates... the village scorned me for it. I guess I couldn't take it so I killed myself. I made sure that didn't happen this time..."

She sat silently for a moment, noting his hunched over posture and the sudden tension between his shoulders. She scooted closer to him on the branch that they were occupying while they spied on their son, wrapping an arm around him to pull him even closer. "What did you do differently?"

"I... I killed my heart. I killed my heart so that my son could have me." He shifted to look at her, dark shadows crossing his eyes. "I let them die. I tried to save them and complete the mission but we all knew it was a suicide mission. I just happened to be the one that lived. I... I set them up just as I had the first time. I did everything I could but I knew it was them or the mission and... the mission won.

"The funny thing is," he continued, "I don't even know if it was worth it. I think it's better sometimes that I never knew them but I'll never _get _to know them, either. It doesn't go away. It just reminds you try harder next time. Until there is no next time and only this time. Kakashi's "this time" was his failure of a mission... He might get over it, he might not. He never did last time. I hope he can this time..."

Yawaraka leaned her head against her husbands and began to hum a melancholy tune as they watched their son and his best friend beat the ever-living hell out of each other. There was no beginning and no end to tragedy, only brief periods of respite from the bitter aching.

**Author's Note: I'm TERRIBLY unhappy with this chapter. Feel free to cut me down, I'll TRYYYY not to take it personally. I hate this chapter, but AGAIN it had to be done. Please tell me what worked and what didn't and for once I might go back and fix this chapter. I really don't like it. **

**I know it was a large time-skip series, but I couldn't bring myself to write them as a team without wanting to cry because I'm a yellow-bellied pansy. Forgive my ineptitude. **


	17. Crackle

**Chapter Seventeen: Crackle**

****_"You're alive, b__ut you know that the wire under you is bending and the truth is always telling you to be immune to everything. Hold back the melancholy, hold back the fear, darling. It's a crime." _Quiet the Mind by IAMX

* * *

SAKUMO STARED AT the mess upon the floor as he walked into the home that he had shared with his son only four years ago. It was a mess. Clothes were strewn about with apparent disregard for cleanliness and muddy tracks lead him to the room where his son was sleeping.

He knew that the house had been kept up fairly well after he left, so this mess had to be recent. He stepped carefully over the sleeping form of Maito Gai, letting out a sigh when he noticed the deep bruising on the boy's face. Kakashi would need to answer for that when he was finally roused from sleep.

Sakumo himself was very tired, but part of being a parent was knowing when your child needed you more than you needed to sleep. He bent at the waist to pick up the various articles of clothing that his son had rejected from his person, noting with disease that blood was mingled with the mud and watery murk that had overtaken them.

He didn't bother to knock on Kakashi's door, having been able to read the boy's state of consciousness through his chakra signature. He lifted an eyebrow when he realized just what a terrible way his son was in. Kakashi was curled up on the floor, wrapped in his father's blanket, as he slept with his hand at the foot of an impromptu shrine of sorts.

The White Fang of Konoha took a moment to regard the shrine, noting the apparent care that had been put into the hasty construction. Photos of Rin and Obito, that Kakashi had hoarded over the four years of them being together, were taped to the frame of his low bed. Beneath the bed burned multiple candles. The photos had been taped on the back so that they'd be easy for him to remove without damaging the pictures. Sakumo knew from letters that Kakashi had written him that the man hadn't had many pictures of them in his past life. He'd only had the bitter memories tinged with the overtone of regret. At least now he had pictures of the good times that weren't tainted by some biased emotion that could warp and twist the images.

Casting his gaze from the small collection of photos and memories and upon his son, Sakumo noticed just how haggard his son looked. There was a dark circle underneath his right eye, and the bandages covering his left eye were covered with dried blood. The wounds he'd garnished from attaining the sharingan had been healed, as far as he knew, but whatever had caused the blood was beyond him. Gai couldn't be faulted for finally hitting back after so long of Kakashi's unrelenting hail of fists. He was glad the boy had faught back because he knew it was what his son had needed.

He remembered confessing to his wife on how he'd killed his own heart and prayed that Kakashi's heart was still in tact. The one thing he was interested in learning about was why the seal had such a large impact on the boy's emotions. What was the reasoning behind what was good for Konoha? Was it some sort of omniscient power? Or was there less to it than that? Was it the Hokage's opinion who had issued the seal?

Kakashi stirred slightly and Sakumo pushed the thought away, again refocusing on the boy's fitful expression. He pressed a hand to the boy's forehead, smoothing away the matted locks that clung to his burning skin. He had a fever...

Sakumo peeled back the comforter that was drenched in sweat and grimaced. Kakashi's body was definitely in a less-than-ideal state. His body was littered with bruises and cuts that couldn't possibly have been from the spar with Gai.

"Shinme," he whispered softly, using his thumb to trace the tender skin that resided beneath the bandaged eye on the left side of his son's face. It, too, burned with the heat of a fever.

Kakashi stirred slightly, jerking out of his sleep the moment he felt the touch. He sat up in a whirl of motion, nearly head-butting his father in the process. He opened his mouth to scream, but the sound died on his lips as he realized where he was.

"You've gone and caught yourself a fever..." Sakumo said softly, pulling his son into a light, brief hug. He didn't know how comfortable his son felt about being hugged at the moment but the desire to show that he cared was too great. Kakashi shifted uncomfortably and Sakumo sighed gently. "I know that you're upset, but... maybe this happened for a reason. Maybe it's-"

"Don't say that. Don't say it's better," snapped Kakashi. The anger faded and he stared at photos he'd taped up. His shoulders sagged and he reached out with a tired arm to gently trace the faces of his two friends, his index and middle fingers trailing along their jaw lines. "Do you know how she died?"

"No... How did she die?"

"I don't know," confessed Kakashi. "I can't even remember what happened..."

"What?"

"It's like I wasn't there... Minato says I tried to kill them all at one point. I don't know what happened... I didn't want this. I'm half tempted to tear it out but I know that I can't because it's not good for fucking Konoha." Kakashi turned away from the faces of his friends, unable to bear them at the moment.

"Don't say that, shinme. You should never speak ill of the village. It's your home," pointed out Sakumo. He rubbed Kakashi on the back, his hand between his son's shoulder blades.

"Yeah well this fucking village is what cost me my friends. Without this-"

"Without this you'd never have met them." His father's words were hard and stern. He didn't want to hear any of that kind of talk—he knew that his son was hurting but to say such things was not acceptable.

"I know, it just... Why them? Rin wasn't perfect for Konoha but I could've changed her! She didn't have to do all those experiments and she didn't have to-"

"But she did. In the end this is what happened. Don't lament what's past, but instead be happy that you got to experience it. You won't be able to smile at their memory for a long time. But that day will come. I promise." Sakumo's eyes met Kakashi's and he was pleased to see the vaguest trace of a smile on his son's lips.

"I miss you," Kakashi admitted, his shoulder's feeling a little bit less burdened by the weight of the world.

"I missed you, too... Hey, about the seal—how does it work?"

"Huh?"

"There has to be some sort of reasoning behind it. _Some _kind of bias that prevented you from doing what you wanted to do to save your teammates. What is it? What is to say what will or won't be good for Konoha?"

Kakashi paused, dumbfounded. He hadn't thought of that. "Well... I... We should talk to Jiraiya about it. Or Minato. They're the seal masters."

Father and son sat in silence for a moment before Sakumo finally stood and offered a hand to his son. Kakashi stared at it for a moment before relenting and allowing himself to be helped to his feet. For the next hour and a half his father fussed over him, cleaning his wounds and rewrapping them to ensure that they didn't get infected. If he didn't think about anything too painful it was almost soothing.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

JIRAIYA CALMLY REGARDED the papers in his hands, trying to figure out what calculations were correct and what weren't. There was a wide array of different types of sealing, he just needed to find one that worked for his purposes. He didn't need a storage seal, an exploding seal, or anything like that. He needed something much more complex than either of those.

He groaned in annoyance when for the fifth time that day there was a knock on the door and he had to get up and leave his work behind. He was in one of the rooms at his sensei's widespread complex and it seemed that the family was determined to prevent him from working. His sensei still wasn't aware of the operations of Tenko but he knew that Jiraiya was hiding something. He was perfectly content to wait and find out just what it was—so long as Jiraiya didn't exceed the six months of time that he'd given his student to let him in on what they were doing beyond sealing that was so top secret.

Jiraiya stood up with a grunt, bracing his fists against his lower back, bending backwards a bit to relieve some of the tension he'd gathered from sitting hunched over in a chair all day. He yanked the door open a bit more forcefully than was necessary, and snarled, "What?" with as much venom as he could muster at the moment.

Kakashi and Sakumo stared at him, unphased by his aggressive greeting. "Good afternoon, Jiraiya. I was wondering if you would do my son and I a favor."

"What kind of favor?" demanded Jiraiya, leering at them suspiciously. He was quite aware of what Kakashi had been through, but showing the boy how sorry he felt for him would only make him uncomfortable. He'd learned that much about the boy over the years.

"We need you to look at his seal, actually," spoke Sakumo, his voice carrying a business like quality. He was quite serious, it appeared.

Jiraiya tilted his head to the side as he regarded the boy. "Splendid idea, actually." He wished he'd have thought of it sooner.

"I want to know who or what is... in charge. What it is that says what is good or bad for Konoha." Kakashi looked Jiraiya square in the eye and didn't back down. "Because I have a few things I'd like to say to them."

"You an' me both, gaki."

Kakashi smirked slightly, and Jiraiya squinted at him. "You look different."

Kakashi tapped his eye and Jiraiya shrugged before offering up yet another gem of wisdom. "You still look like an idiot to me."

The boy rolled his eyes in mock annoyance and the older man felt relieved, even if just for a moment.

"Well, take off your shirt and I'll see if I can channel enough chakra into it to see it." Jiraiya was a little curious as to how extensive the seal actually was. "I'll channel chakra and you channel chakra as well."

The only result was a faded, barely visible outline of what was obviously a single portion of the seal. "This is more extensive than I thought..." Jiraiya frowned, cupping his chin in his right hand. He scowled as he looked up at the ceiling of his small bedroom that doubled as an office and then let his gaze drop to the floor.

"I think," he began slowly, "that a meeting of the minds is in order. We have many things to discuss."

Kakashi nodded uncertainly, raising his left arm up to cup his right upper arm. Sakumo frowned at the rapidly increasing practice but otherwise didn't mention it. Kakashi noticed the frown and promptly shoved his hands into his pockets.

Jiraiya ignored the both of them as he turned back to his desk, looking at the many sketches of various seals that he'd drawn up and ultimately rejected. '_Perhaps finally getting a look at that seal will help me out with this...'_

_ "_When shall the meeting take place?" asked Sakumo, folding his arms across his chests he waited for a reply. Jiraiya looked up, his face set in a calm, collected way.

"The usual."

Sakumo and Kakashi nodded before departing, leaving a weary Jiraiya to sort out his papers and wonder what his teammates were doing. Tsunade had neglected to come visit after getting to town a few days ago and Orochimaru... he was too wrapped up in his new position as head of the Research and Development branch to come visit. Jiraiya was alone again and he couldn't say he liked it even though it was a feeling he was well accustomed to.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

GAI AWOKE WITH a start when the sound of heavy footsteps thundered past his head. He sat up to see Kakashi and Sakumo dragging a large box out of the closet, seeming to have forgotten he was there.

He gently cleared his throat, unsure of what to do with himself. Kakashi looked up, not at all startled by his presence.

"Hey," he said awkwardly, setting the box down so he could scratch the back of his neck sheepishly. His father smiled at Gai and nudged the gray-haired boy in the side before vanishing into the kitchen.

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably and then bowed his head. "I'm sorry for goading you into a fight and hitting you even though you refused to hit back... My head's not exactly screwed on straight right now..."

"It's perfectly acceptable, Kakashi-kun. I understand the loss of a teammate..." Gai trailed off as he stared at the floor, his face hardened with memories of his ninja experience. "Next time you need to let off some steam... I'd be more than willing to help."

Kakashi smiled and gestured to the box. "Here, I've got some stuff to show you..."

He lifted a few photos from the box and set them before Gai. "When my father was younger... He knew your father. They were quite close..."

Gai smiled brightly, though it faltered for a moment as he briefly wondered why Kakashi's father had never reached out to him if they were so close. It hurt, but he realized that Sakumo had other things to worry about than a wet-behind-the-ears bundle of problems.

A truer smile stretched across Gai's face as he gazed upon the photos. He'd only ever seen a picture or two of the man in his lifetime and it was bizarre to see him. He looked like a carbon-copy of Gai, but his eyes were a little rounder.

"He looks just like me!" exclaimed Gai, grabbing the picture from his bestfriend's hand.

"More accurately, _you_ look like him," corrected Sakumo, ruffling the boy's hair just like he did Kakashi's. Kakashi smiled at the action, though his heart wasn't all the way into it. He could feel the determination growing inside of him.

Gai suddenly grew shy, swiveling his foot back and forth as he indecisively tried to gather the resolve to ask the question that he wanted to ask. "Kakashi, do you... I don't have any photos and I was... I just-"

"You can have it, Gai. You deserve them... I only wish we'd given them to you sooner. It took us a long time to find them, it's been so long since they've seen the light of day. I was feeling a bit lost over... what happened... and Papa showed me one of the teammates he lost that he said hit him the hardest and it helped a bit."

With a smile, Gai pulled Kakashi into a bone-crushing hug that did little to help the boy's extensive injuries. Kakashi didn't mind, though.

"Hey, Gai, I was thinking... If you ever need a place to stay you're always welcome here." Kakashi shifted uncomfortably, not used to vocalizing his feelings. In the past he'd always dodged such conversations with casual jokes that he'd stolen from Obito. This time, things would be different. No more hiding all the time. His emotions would surface every once in a while, even if it was just for a little while.

Gai nodded, a shy smile gracing his lips as he stared at the picture. He traced the smile of his father, young as he was in the picture, and vowed to leave a legacy for his future son that would be worth the mystery. It was a vow that he wasn't ready to forget, not for many years to come.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

JIRAIYA HISSED SLIGHTLY as the blade passed through the skin on his forearm, letting out a choked gasp when the blade continued on for another six inches. Tsunade winced apologetically and then sucked in a deep breath at the sight of blood.

"I've been working at this for years and it's still hard for me to deal with..." She bit her lip as she stared at the large amounts of blood that were beginning to seep from Jiraiya's self-inflicted wound.

"Well, look, Tsunade... I think we might actually have a problem because I feel light-headed already," he confessed with a nervous giggle. "So feel free to patch me up at any time."

Tsunade's face looked a bit horrified as she realized just how much blood was pouring from the wound. "Dammit, Jiraiya! Baka! What're you doing making a cut that deep!"

"Trying to help you, Tsunade-hime." Jiraiya answered smartly, shoving the arm at her so she could heal him. He groaned when Tsunade simply backed away from him.

She paled and brushed her bangs away from her face, but every time she reached out to accept his arm her hands would begin to tremble and she'd have to stop. "Of course, you'd do this when I didn't have another medic nin to help in case I wimped out again!"

Jiraiya smiled cheekily, though it was half-hearted. He truly was loosing too much blood. "Look, hime, you need to get to work before I bleed to death..."

Tsunade glared at him before growling and grabbing his arm. He gave her a tired grin, letting out a sigh of relief as her hands glowed green and a tingling warmth spread throughout his flesh, nullifying the pain that had been caused by kunai he'd used to slash through his skin.

A soft smile shaped her lips when she heard his sound of appreciation, reinforcing that what she was doing was right. She might not have been able to save Dan and Nawaki, but... she had other precious people to protect. The loss of her sometimes apprentice Rin had been quite a setback. It had eradicated years worth of progress and set her back a great deal. She hadn't been able to teach the medic to effectively save her teammates...

Tsunade absently used the back of her forearm to mop the sweat from her brow as she worked on the deep cut in Jiraiya's arm. He'd luckily missed any arteries. As an homage to her occasional student, she'd worked on Kakashi to lesson the scarring left by her student's hasty work. It was the least she could do. The boy's eye still needed a lot of healing and she wanted to teach him some simple healing jutsus to help him out in the field, but it all came down to whether or not there was enough time.

War waited for no one. Jiraiya was on reprieve for the evening but was being kind enough to share it with her. Orochimaru was still out there fighting—he'd told Jiraiya he'd cover for him on the express terms that Jiraiya help Tsunade. It was almost unsettling how much closer they'd become in the past four years. What disturbed her the most was that, war or not, she could actually stand to be in the village again.

Parts of her felt guilty for being able to move on –at least some what—from the deaths of Nawaki and Dan, but other parts of her encouraged it... Her main goal and focus was getting Sarutobi to agree to the medical program that would produce medical ninja, enough so that there would be one per each squad. It was a brilliant idea but they'd have to survive the war before she could fully implement it. The best she could do now was teach crash courses on already injured ninja—something that was quite difficult if one could not stand the sight of blood.

Jiraiya gave her a steady smile which she returned, pleasure evident in her face for the first time in a few weeks. She was finally getting back to normal—even after her backslide. When Tsunade was finished, Jiraiya offered her a hug. She accepted the hug and then promptly rejected it when Jiraiya's wandering hands tried to grope her chest. He'd never grow up. But perhaps that was why she loved him so much.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

IT DIDN'T BOTHER him that it was sunny on the day of Obito's and Rin's memorial service. It didn't bother him that the bodies had never been recovered. It didn't bother him that people were staring at him, waiting for a crack in the facade he'd been ever so good at creating for himself.

That's what he told himself to get through the day. He knew it bothered him. He hated that it was a perfect day despite the loss of two great ninja, but he couldn't change that. He _could _theoretically search and search endlessly for his teammates bodies, but that would be a pointless endeavor. He _could _sneer at those who stared at him, giving them the break of character that they wanted. But what good would that do?

Instead, he was forced to stand in silence before the crowd that had gathered before the memorial stone as the names were carved into it with specialized tools. He stood straight, his back erect and proud as he looked over the procedure. Outwardly, his face was set in stone. On the insides his innards squirmed like gelatin. Minato stood with his arms folded across his chest, a woman with red hair gripping his arm with steady hands. Kakashi didn't even register that it was Kushina, Naruto's mother.

After Obito's name came Rin's, and his resolve wavered slightly. This time around she'd been so much more than a friend to him. He'd practically forbidden himself from falling in love with her, because of Obito's feelings for the girl. He'd promised himself that he would just indulge the girl to give her some happiness and that he wouldn't get emotionally involved but that promise had been broken.

Even as he stood there he could vaguely feel the calming feel of her medical ninjutsu spreading through his injured eye. The sensory memory faded as soon as it came and he turned away from the memorial stone, blinking back the few tears that burgeoned in the corners of his eyes.

A hand settled on his shoulder and he turned to stare at his father, noting the look of compassion in his eyes. '_Is this how it feels, Naruto?' _thought Kakashi, allowing the image of the world to fade away as he conversed with his tenant.

Naruto looked up from the now elephant-sized fox whose nails he was trimming. He looked to be using gardening sheers. The blonde nodded slowly, letting his gaze fall to the ground a moment before looking Kakashi in the eyes as he answered. '_You know there's a chance that they'll die. You try to plan around things and make sure that you lower the percentage of risk as much as you can, but... Sometimes sacrifices must be made.'_

Kakashi's Hokage sank down to the ground before him, propping his elbows upon the knees of his crossed legs. '_You'd make a good Hokage, you know that? I know you'd have done things differently if you could, but... I'd like to apologize.'_

_ 'For what? Rin and Obito? That's not-'_

_ 'I think I'm the one who influences the seal...' _Naruto's eyes practically screamed regret, but Kakashi didn't bother to look at them. Instead he stared at the ground, his fists clenched as rage overcame him.

He didn't say anything for a moment, his mouth flopping open and closed uselessly as he struggled to think of something to say, something that would convey his emotions. Naruto could feel the rage, self-loathing, and anger that permeated Kakashi's mind and shrank away from him. His own guilt began to overshadow Kakashi's anger.

Kakashi withdrew from his mindscape, unable to dwell on that for the moment. He knew that he'd lose himself if he tried to deal with that right now. He looked around slowly, releasing the scowl of fury that he hadn't felt slip onto his features. Most of the crowd was gone, only the family and friends of the deceased lingering behind.

A deep sadness gripped him as he realized that he'd forgotten to help Obito succeed in awakening the Sharingan before the time of his death. That'd been a long-standing regret that he'd had in his other life. His whole family knew him as a failure even though any non-Uchiha recognized him as an Elite simply for his clan name.

Kakashi hung his head, avoiding the worried look from his father. He must've been inside his mindscape for a lot longer than he realized.

A bird flying overhead squawked loudly and Kakashi lazily looked up as it began to fly down towards them. The bird zeroed in on Kakashi and his parents before deciding to land on his father's shoulder. His father loosed the scroll attached to the bird and then sighed.

"I've been summoned to see the Hokage... Love, I think it best if you come with me. I think Kakashi needs some... alone time." Sakumo offered Kakashi a hug of reassurance before grabbing his wife by the hand and Shunshin-ing away to meet the Hokage. Kakashi idly wondered what the Hokage was summoning his father for before deciding that he wasn't worried about it at the moment.

He sat down on the ground before the memorial stone, watching the few remaining Uchiha until they leaved. Anko came over and tried to talk to him, but he waved her off with some lame excuse about wanting to think things over for a bit.

It was partly true, but any thinking that he had to be done he couldn't do in public. He knew that it would result in some form of destruction with as livid as he was at Naruto right now. If Naruto controlled the seal then that meant that Naruto had prevented him from helping his teammates. Prevented him from finding an alternative.

He watched with vague disinterest as Anko sadly turned and walked away, moving back towards her sensei who led her away from the scene with a few soft words that Kakashi's keen senses somehow didn't pick up.

When he felt that everyone had gone, he timidly reached out and traced the names of his teammates with trembling fingers. He inhaled with a shuddering breath and then looked away, sitting down cross-legged before the vertical stone. He didn't know how long he sat there, but when he heard a sound behind him, he jumped, having thought that everyone was gone.

He twisted around, not bothering to get up from his seated position.

"I'm sorry to be meeting you under such circumstances, but it has come to my attention that you are currently... in possession... of a certain property that belongs to the Uchiha clan," spoke Fugaku, looking much younger than Kakashi remembered. His tone was somber, as though he didn't wish to be the one relaying the information.

"You want the eye back?" asked Kakashi, remembering all to well the controversy that had surrounded this point in his own time line. He knew that Fugaku didn't want the eye out of spite—it was a clan doujutsu that wasn't meant to be used by those outside of the clan. He did know, however, that Obito's parents were not found of him for carrying around the eye of their son.

"Yes. I expect it back by-"

"You can't have it. I promised Obito that we'd see the future together..." As corny as childish as it was, even now it was a promise that Kakashi couldn't break. By no means did he want the blasted eye, but it was what Obito had wanted.

Fugaku frowned, displeased with being interrupted. "If you are so insistent on keeping it, then at least allow us to teach you to use it properly."

Kakashi froze, completely blindsided by this new information. This hadn't happened last time... Had he not said this to the man before? Perhaps Fugaku was more understanding than he gave him credit for.

"H-how to use it? But... I thought you didn't want me to have it at all?"

"I don't particularly enjoy you having it. You won't be learning any of the clan's secret jutsu, that much I can assure you. However, we can't have a Sharingan user walking around and defaming my clan's name." Fugaku smiled slightly, scratching at his chin. "Besides... my son is just enrolling in the Acadamy and needs someone to look up to..."

Kakashi smiled slightly at that, ducking his head to hide his expression. This opened up a whole new world of possibilities... When he looked up again, Fugaku was gone.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HOKAGE-SAMA," MURMURED SAKUMO, ducking his head in acknowledgment of the man before him.

Sarutobi returned the nod, folding his hands atop his desk as he regarded the seasoned ninja standing before him. He appeared to be fully battle-ready, having stopped to grab his pack from his home. Yawaraka stood next to him, her arms hanging at her sides as she coolly regarded him. She was of the level to be a Kage of Uzu, though her priorities lie elsewhere. Konoha was what she intended to save now.

"As important as reinforcing Uzushiogakure is, I need you fighting here, Sakumo." Sarutobi bit his pipe, lazily puffing from the old wooden device. "I want you on the front-lines with Orochimaru, reminding our foes and enemies what the White Fang of Konoha is meant to do... It's been quite a while since you've shown that side of yourself..."

Sakumo offered up a wry grin, scratching the back of his neck. "It's not a side of myself that I like to show because it's... Rather unstoppable once I get going."

"Then let the pieces fall where they may, Hatake." Sarutobi smiled in return and bowed his head slightly, acknowledging that the man before him was a truly powerful being,just as he was.

"If I may, Hokage-sama, I'd like to fight with my husband... Protecting Konoha is in my best interests as well. As an allied force of Konoha-"

Sarutobi held up a hand to cut her off, his soft smile more than enough to assure her that he wasn't denying her. "You don't need to explain yourself. You're as much of a member of Konoha as you are Uzu." At this, Yawaraka smiled. "Now, both of you—or rather, Yawaraka—pack a mission bag and travel to the border along..."

Sakumo listened carefully as Sarutobi detailed the points along the border that they were to patrol and the towns and villages that they were to actively protect. Some of the smaller villages had been overrun by Iwa and Kumo soldiers and needed cleaning out. Sakumo would never admit it, but after years of fighting for Uzu it felt good to be back on Konohan turf and fighting for the village he was truly a part of.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HOW'RE YOU FEELING," asked Nenshou, squatting down in front of Kakashi. He tried to ignore the heaving of the boy's chest and the slightly wild look in his one visible eye but found himself unable to completely disregard it.

Kakashi shrugged and then leaned forward, resting his weight onto one hand. He was sprawled out on his ass, his legs splayed in different directions and his gray hair in a state of disrepair that only a shower and strict brushing could fix. "Like a champion," he grunted, shifting and drawing his knees up underneath himself.

His caretaker tutted and held out a hand. Kakashi rejected it, using his own strength to haul himself to his feet. Once standing, he began to wobble and pitch as though he might fall. Despite Kakashi's protests, Nenshou used a hand to steady the boy.

"You're not in the condition to be training like-"

"We're at war. None of us are in condition to be training and fighting like this. But we do what we have to in order to protect what's important to us. I'll be fine." He kept forgetting that he didn't have Rin around to patch him up anymore. It hurt him to think about it, so he ignored it. His sore muscles didn't seem to want him to forget, however.

"Stop punishing yourself, Kakashi! That was out of your hands!" snarled Nenshou, grabbing the boy by the shoulders. "I came to tell you that you've got a mission, but honestly I don't know if you're in the mental state to go through with it."

Kakashi's ears twitched at the word 'mission,' much like a fox's. "Mission?"

"Report to the Hokage Tower in an hour if you feel mentally competent enough... and drink this for goodness sakes!" Nenshou thrust a cup of tea into Kakashi's hands and then Shunshin'd away to do whatever it was that he needed to do. Kakashi suspected that it was simply to prevent him from returning the cup of tea to the man without either drinking it or dumping out. Nenshou knew that Kakashi was never one to waste tea.

Kakashi scowled and sank back down the ground, careful not to spill any of the tea. Knowing his old sensei it had some absurd healing properties. His ears tweaked again at the sound of someone moving behind him and he half-turned, already knowing who it was before he saw the person.

"What brings you here, Anko?" he asked softly, taking a sip of his tea. She shrugged and sat down in front of him.

"You did," she said simply. "I thought... I thought maybe you'd..."

"Have time for you now?" he asked coldly. The guilt was evident in his eyes, though, because he averted his gaze. She didn't show any outward signs of hurt at what he said, choosing instead to inhale the aroma of his tea.

"Got it in a nutshell, haven't you?" she said, her tone somewhat bitter. Kakashi grimaced beneath his mask, wishing that she could have picked any other time to seek him out and try to reassert their friendship. They'd grown apart over the past two years, partly—hell it was _mostly—_his fault but she hadn't helped matters either.

She'd grown jealous and he'd grown annoyed. That was how things had gone.

"Sensei says that you and I will always be friends... no matter how much of an asshole you can be."

Kakashi snorted at this, somewhat shocked that the snake-sannin had soothed the girl's insecurities about their friendship. "Why is that?" he asked softly, suddenly wondering what it could be that would protect one of the relationships that he had, at one time, held more dear to him than anything else in the world.

"Because you promised him you'd always protect me and Hatake's don't break their promises."

He offered a noncommittal grunt and downed the last of his tea before rolling to his feet, containing the grunt of pain that threatened to escape him.

Anko stood up as well, holding out her hands. "I can fix that for you," she offered, a dull green light flickering around her hands. Kakashi couldn't explain the sudden rush of distaste for her presence.

"No thanks," he spat, using the Body Flicker technique to remove himself from her. He found himself in front of Nenshou's place, the house he'd come to call home after the past three or four years. It was strange that this time around he had so many different places he could refer to as home... He was so emotionally invested this time.

Kakashi shucked the holster for his tanto, staring at the sheath of the unbroken device as it clattered noisily against the wall before falling to the bed. He supposed soon he'd move back in with his father, should the man decide to stay in Konoha.

He couldn't shake the niggling feeling of regret as he thought about leaving Kurenai and Nenshou, hell even Nenshou's wife. He had taken to referring to her as Kaa-san, as she'd implored he do. He didn't mind it because he knew his mother would've approved of the friendly gesture.

With a weary sigh he sank down on his bed, wondering why he'd been so disgusted with the appearance of Anko's apparent new-found healing ability. _That _was definitely different. He couldn't place why it bothered him so much... It was just so foreign and so wrong to the Anko he knew. A healer? No, that wasn't right at all. The Anko he knew was a cold, unabashed killer and that was one of the things he loved about her. The sheer ruthlessness behind her eyes when they sparred.

But now... it was like she was trying to become someone else for him and that was something he couldn't—wouldn't-stand for. Ironically, he found himself dragging his body off of the bed and into a standing position so that he could get ready for his mission. He wished he had a chance to rest—the notion of having Rin heal him popped up in his mind before he remembered that she was dead and he immediately felt sad again—but he knew he didn't have time for that. He sighed again and ripped off his clothes so he could get a quick shower before he needed to stand before the Hokage and accept his mission with his team—not his team, not his real team, came a voice in the back of his mind.

That was a lie, though. Technically, they'd been his team before Obito and Rin—at least this time, anyway. As the water rained down around him, he tried to image his worries and laments washing off of his body and stumbling uncertainly down the drain. It seemed to help a little bit, but not much.

**Author's Note: I know this is late coming out. I tried to add more to it for you all as compensation. Hope this is all right. :] Leave me a review and let me know what you think. **

**Love, **

**Author**


	18. Reignite

**Chapter Eighteen: Reignite**

"_I'm just tired of counting bodies in this mausoleum tardy._" -At the Drive In, by Non-Zero Possibility

* * *

KAKASHI DUCKED LOW, mechanically avoiding the blade that was thrust toward his face in an effort to decapitate him. With a gentle flick of the wrist, a kunai found its way into his hand. He pivoted on the ball of his foot, swinging his shoulders low as he simultaneously shot his right hand upwards into the chin of his attacker. The kunai pierced the soft palate between the two halves of the mandible; Kakashi exerted more force into the blow and it continued upwards through the tongue and into the nasal cavity. Bits of bone and the point of the blade pierced into the man's brain. Stunned and addled by the blow, the man gurgled in response as Kakashi removed his hand from the kunai and reached out to break the man's neck.

Even scum didn't deserve to choke to death on their own blood while their brain struggled to keep functioning. He didn't even know the man's name. Kakashi was beginning to feel that his nickname in the bingo-books finally suited him.

"The White Reaper has returned!" screamed a shrill voice. Kakashi turned around lazily, eying the older woman with apparent boredom. He was doing the task expected of him, but his heart wasn't in it. Such a trite expression. '_The White Reaper has returned!' _Kakashi snorted in annoyance and flicked a kunai in her direction. It embedded itself up to the hilt between her eyes.

Gai gave him a weary look, smashing his fist into the face of a lowly bandit. The words of the Hokage were ringing in his ears. '_Take no prisoners.'_

Kakashi definitely wasn't and neither was Jiraiya. Gai had initially been trying to make it a morbid competition to see who could fell the most enemies, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that Kakashi had somehow grown even faster while he was training with the other team.

Genma shouted something at Gai, but he was too caught up in his thoughts to notice. He did notice when a set of hands grabbed onto his shoulders and roughly flung him across the clearing. He impacted with a tree and crumpled to the ground for a moment before sitting up and looking around blearily. He was already crawling to his feet when he noticed Kakashi's hand extended to help him up.

"You'd better pay attention out there, I can't always be here to save you. You were nearly crushed to death by the tree."

Black orbs followed the direction of Kakashi's extended finger as he gestured toward the large tree that had crashed to the earth only seconds before. "H-hai."

With a short yank Gai was back on his feet again. "Any clue where that scroll is?"

"I've gathered that it's in the caverns which were so _luckily_ blocked off by that falling tree... Step back and take cover. I'll get rid of the tree."

"But it's huge-"

"Trust me, Gai. I've learned a few things and created a few things in the past few years... Just watch me." Kakashi smiled slightly; Gai could tell because the shadows beneath his nose widened ever so little and the corners of his eyes became slightly tighter. Before Gai could comment on the change of emotion, the gray-haired boy was off.

Kakashi came to a halt about fifty-meters from the tree. "Give me cover!" he shouted to his comrade who hastily began to fling kunai at enemies attempting to halt Kakashi's progress. Jiraiya looked up in surprise when he saw Kakashi's hand lift up to reveal his sharingan and then lower again to slip into an unfamiliar position. There was the sharp crackle of electricity and the sound of birds as white-blue chakra formed in a dangerously electric orb about his hand.

Jiraiya wanted to yell out for him to stop but he didn't have a chance—Kakashi was already moving towards the tree so quickly that he was naught but a blurred afterimage. Jiraiya did the most sensible thing he could think of—he grabbed Genma and Gai and crouched down with his arms around them as his white hair grew and spiked out to wrap protectively around them.

Kakashi shouted in exhilaration as his fist met the tree. He drove into the tree as far as he could before cutting of the power of his Chidori and flipping head-over-heels into the air. He struggled to use chakra to right himself so that he could control his descent but it was difficult. With a loud grunt he landed behind a mass of rocks the size of a small hut, rolling to a stop just as the overheated sap inside the tree exploded. A massive hail of wood chips and burning tree sap rained down around him and the screams of their enemies was worth the effort he'd put into the task. So what if he was a little sadistic—it was good to finally be able to hurt instead of trying to heal. He remembered that _that _was why he'd joined ANBU in his previous life. It'd come to help him later in life.

When Kakashi finally lowered his hitai-ite over his left eye and emerged, he was met with Jiraiya's stern gaze. It was ruined by the crooked smile that marred the otherwise serious expression. "Haven't I told you that when using destructive techniques you need to warn us?"

"Sorry," mumbled Kakashi, an embarrassed blush covering his cheeks. "I got the caverns open, though."

"Yeah, but you coulda maimed or injured your teammates in the process. Be careful."

Kakashi fell quiet for a moment, considering his sensei's words. He bitterly pushed them away, knowing that no matter what his teammates were going to get hurt. They just had to keep up. Jiraiya noticed his sour expression and cuffed him in the back of the head.

"Stop pouting. Pouting's for babies. Now gimme a smile."

Kakashi responded by glaring at his sensei, who just laughed merrily. "Kids."

With a grunt, Kakashi raced forward. Gai and Genma followed his lead and soon they were running along a path that they hoped would lead them in the right direction. Jiraiya couldn't shake the sinking feeling that they were heading in completely the right direction but that there was something terrible waiting for them at their destination.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"YOU KNOW THAT group I joined back before that mission where... where everyone got hurt?" asked Sakumo, panting slightly as he and Yawaraka raced through the trees towards their destination.

Yawaraka gave him a quizzical look before nodding and answering, "Yeah?" in a questioning tone. He let out a short cough that sounded suspiciously like nervous laughter before twisting around to look at her.

"It was called the Suicide Squad. I'm the only one left. You've just officially been inducted into the madness. Congratulations."

"Wh-What? This mission is that dangerous? I thought were just supposed to provide a distraction!" He noticed the stutter but could already feel her resolve to survive growing.

"Yeah. We're distracting an army. An entire army. Granted we'll have the White Snake Sannin helping us, but... you and I will be able to create a better distraction-"

Yawaraka held up a hand to cut him off. "Wait... just how big of an army are we talking?"

Sakumo only smiled and raced forward to the trees just near the edge of the clearing that they were approaching. "That's how big we're talking," he said with excitement in his voice as he gestured towards the massive combined forces of Iwa and Kumo "If we do our job properly, this will be the last battle of the Third Shinobi War. We just can't die too early. Preferably at all, but you know how things go..."

Yawaraka smirked and lifted her hands up to tie her hair back into a quick braid. "This might actually be fun."

"God, I love you," exhaled Sakumo, yanking her into a quick kiss. She let out a muffled sound of surprise but returned the kiss with equal fervor before pulling away and wiping at his lips.

"You've got a little lipstick on your face... wouldn't want them to call you the White Flamer of Konoha, now would we?" At this he rolled his eyes and wiped off the bit of rogue from his lips and made a mental note to check on his comrade's names in the bingo-books. He always liked to see how ridiculous they were.

"Well, darling, shall we... get a move on?" asked Yawaraka, holding out her hand for her husband. He offered a mock grin of smug appreciation and accepted it.

"Don't mind if I do. Shall we try the cyclone technique or are we going to try the more... tsunami-like route?"

"Actually," said Yawaraka with a dare-devil smirk playing across her lips, "I was thinking that we'd try the mole thing."

"What?! That's too easy!"

"Hmm... How bout we go mole first and then we just unleash all the hell we can think of? Let's do what we did that one time when they tried to sneak up through the front of the village-"

"The ultimate defense? But we're going on the offensive!"

"and we completely demolish everything in our path instead."

Sakumo suddenly smiled at the idea of total destruction. "Take no prisoners... those were our orders. Well. Let's get this clusterfuck on the road, ne?"

"It's gonna be so much fun! I've been rebuilding for the past few years. I finally get to break things again!" exclaimed Yawaraka, calling upon her chakra as they began to ready themselves for underground travel. Sakumo laughed in agreement as he readied the technique himself. They wouldn't know what hit them. Or rather, they would be completely aware of it and be totally unable to stop it from happening.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"ARE YOU STILL mad at me, Kakashi?" inquired Naruto, his shy face peeking forward into the conscious part of Kakashi's mind. Kakashi responded with an angry mental push that sent Naruto sprawling backwards into the dark recesses of his old sensei's mind, where he was threatened with scary images of the things that Kakashi wished he could do to him at the moment.

Mad was a not word to describe what he felt for the blonde at the moment, reasoned Kakashi as they picked their way through the tunnels. He was livid. He wanted to kill the man; part of him was glad that his Hokage was trapped inside his head otherwise he might have actually tried to kill him for the stunt he'd pulled.

The sharingan was eternally useful, but he couldn't say that he wanted it. He'd missed it at some points when the training became hard—it was one of the reasons his training didn't progress as well as it could've. He didn't even know what stage this sharingan was at but it mattered little to him at the moment. He'd do well not to think about it. He was finally beginning to get a grip on himself and allowing such thoughts would undo all the hard work he'd put into being a decent member of the team.

"Are you alright, Kakashi?" inquired Genma, prodding him on the shoulder. "You look a bit constipated."

Kakashi smirked slightly, but shrugged in response. "Just trying to figure out a way to make you more attractive for the ladies. I feel bad that you can't get a date, ya know."

Genma laughed at his friend's joke, but fell silent. Jiraiya held a hand up to signify that they should stop when his small summoned toad returned to him. "What'd you find?" he whispered gently.

"Well, boss, there's a bunch of 'em in there. You're gonna have to go wild but be careful. There's some stalagmites and stalactites in there that you oughta watch out for when fighting, ya know?" chirped the creature. He proceeded to hastily map out the layout of the cave, licking a tongue out to lazily lick its eyeball the whole while. Jiraiya smiled gratefully and patted it on the head before dismissing it.

"So, sensei, what's the plan?" asked Gai, his voice practically dripping with excitement. Jiraiya looked at him for a second, surprised by the intensity of his voice. He ruffled the kids hair before calling the other two over; they both ambled over, standing in such a way that they were all facing into a central point and creating a circle of sorts.

Jiraiya squatted down above the small map created by his summon and pulled out a kunai to make additions. "Kakashi, I want you and Gai to travel down this path, okay? You're going to be our destruction team. You'll have to be careful of the calcifications in the caverns though—I don't need anyone impaled with falling objects. Go in quiet at first until you're right in the thick of it and then unleash havoc.

"Genma and I will go through this tunnel-" he pointed to a tunnel that would lead into the right side of the main area of the caverns. "and then once we're inside, I'll cloak us with Misugakure no Jutsu, and try to get us to the holding area where the document is being kept.. After we get that, we'll be back to bail you out. We'll have to eliminate everyone."

Gai paused as he listened to the explanation, lifting a finger in uncertainty. "Why are the two of us," he mentioned, pointing to Kakashi and himself, "creating the diversion? You're a lot stronger than we are! I don't mean to sound scared but I'm trying to be logical."

Jiraiya smiled suddenly, pleased that his students were thinking like Chunin.

"We're strong enough to defend ourselves and create the distraction. Jiraiya is sneaky enough to get in there _and _cloak Genma—they'll likely have some tougher people there to guard the information. He can get in and out pretty quickly and come help us. If we were sent in there, we'd be occupied with fighting and they might have a chance to move the scrolls away while we're busy," reasoned Kakashi, his face dark with thought.

"Exactly!" confirmed Jiraiya, beaming so brightly that Kakashi had to wonder if it hurt, just a little. "You're all doing excellent. It seems you've all grown! I can't wait to get the mission over so I can brag to Orochimaru how well my students are doing."

Kakashi smiled slightly, feeling an odd tingling inside of him. It was the urge to impress the Snake Sannin, but he wasn't sure why. It could've been that the limey bastard had never truly seen him as a rival in battle, but that was neither here nor there.

The party disbanded, Kakashi and Gai making their way along the main tunnel while Jiraiya and Genma stealthily crept along the tunnel that would lead them into the main cavern from the right. Neither of them expected the full magnitude of what they saw when they arrived at their destinations.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

SAKUMO DUCKED LOW, swinging his right leg around as he sank into a perfect sweeping kick. His enemy toppled to the ground, but was immediate in his attempts to scramble back to his feet. Sakumo proved to be too quick for him as he jerked his sword the holster on his back, jamming it into the man's back between the shoulder blades. There was a loud crunch as a result of the man's severed, broken spine but the white-haired man paid it no heed.

He leaped over the body, grabbing Yawaraka by the arms just in time to pull her out of the way of a flying boulder. She grinned thankfully at him and then surprised him by crushing her lips against his. "You're so sexy when you go all hero on me," she whispered, shoving away from him with a laugh.

Sakumo's cheeks reddened slightly as his enemies continued to attack. "She dares to speak such words! The almighty Uzu warrior dares to be _dirty!_" he joked, charging his sword with Raiton chakra. It leaped from the tip of his sword in a white, jagged pike before diverging and connecting with the heads of three enemy ninja. They fell to the ground in painful spasms as the electricity jarred their brains into puddles of brain matter that dripped from their ears and noses.

Yawaraka laughed gleefully as she easily drifted around a punch aimed at her nose, slamming her fist into the man's throat as her body flowed away from him and into another attack. She pushed her weight onto the ball of her right foot, letting her knee drop as she brought her left leg up. The top of her foot connected harshly with the underside of the enemy's mandible and he lifted off the ground with a distressed gurgle as he bit through his tongue. The chakra-enforced zing to her kick sent him flying through the air. "You know what they say about clan girls, Sakumo..."

"That they're really good in bed?" teased Sakumo, reaching over her shoulder to bury a kunai in the face of a bitter-looking woman behind Yawaraka. She squawked a little as the blood began to spurt out of her eye-socket.

"Nope," laughed Yawaraka. She sank to the ground, sliding easily through her husband's legs before fluidly righting herself again. She spun around effortlessly, offering up a roundhouse kick to the face of a boy who looked much to young to be fighting. "That we're the _best _in bed."

"Are you two quite finished?" crowed a loud voice from high up in the air. Both Yawaraka and Sakumo looked up with smiles on their face. Orochimaru was towering above them on the head of a large snake summon. Said summon's tail swept forward to offer them purchase. They quickly scrambled aboard, a bit relieved for the chance to breath freely.

"What took you so long?" demanded Sakumo, laughing at Orochimaru's indignant expression. "I've got a lead on you by about seventy-five take-downs already."

Orochimaru's cheeks flushed a light mauve color. "Already? You've been here ten minutes!"

Sakumo shrugged. "They don't call me the White Fang of Konoha for no reason."

The purple-eyed man above them smirked and held out his hand. A snake protruded from his shirt and Sakumo grabbed a hold of it. As the snake retracted, he was pulled up to join Orochimaru atop the head of the larger snake. After repeating the process for Yawaraka, the three of them stared at the battle field below them. Many projectiles were aimed in their direction, but it didn't matter. Their aim was utter shit.

"Here's the plan," explained Orochimaru. "I am going to get you down to the front lines. We'll pull back our forces, right? Then the three of us go to town. The most destructive jutsus you can think of, got it?"

Sakumo nodded in affirmation, clapping his hands giddily. "I think we're having a little too much fun today..."

"Fun?" Orochimaru smirked wryly. "I think I might need to reconsider my priorities. I rather enjoy this sort of recreation... but perhaps we shouldn't tell our superiors this... they might take us in for a psyche evaluation."

Yawaraka and Sakumo snickered in agreement. Dangerous though he was supposed to be, Sakumo couldn't help but realize the similarities between the Snake Sannin and himself. In fact, he was quite sure they could even be friends if Orochimaru didn't defect from the village.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

KAKASHI GULPED AS he surveyed the expanse of cavern before himself and Gai. They laying on their backs against the roof, threading chakra through their clothing to hold them aloft. It took a higher than normal level of chakra-control but it was doable for most high level Chunin—or a pair of supposedly low-level Chunin in a dire situation.

The gray-haired ninja cloaked his and his partner's presence with a cloaking jutsu while they considered their options. They hadn't fully envisioned what it would mean to create a diversion for hundreds of ninja. They'd been expecting two hundred—tops-but what they were facing at the moment clearly surpassed that. There were at _least _five hundred ninja, though it looked more like eight hundred.

Kakashi counted under his breath as he surveyed their possible exits. There were two main exits and a possible four or five more if they drilled through the sides of the cavern with a powerful jutsu. However, that could cause a cave-in if they weren't careful. They needed to make sure they could distract the enemy long enough to allow Jiraiya and Genma entry to the room with the documents, retrieve them, and then get out.

Gai gave Kakashi a careful look before nodding down at one of the guards passing below them. His message was clear—take out the guards, infiltrate wearing their uniforms, and then wreak havoc from the inside. Kakashi frowned underneath his mask and then held up his hand before pointing to his hip pocket. He withdrew ninja wire and allowed Naruto's presence back into his conscious mind. He was still mad at the young man, but if there was one thing he knew, it was that Naruto set the best traps he'd ever seen.

Gai immediately understood his companion's idea and withdrew his own ninja wire as well. The two quickly and carefully began to boobytrap the area as quick as they could under the parameters of the cloaking jutsu cast by Kakashi.

That task done, the two exchanged a look before both zeroing their gazes in on the two shinobi patrolling the main entrance below them. Kakashi found himself smirking slightly, enjoying the rush that came with overcoming and out-thinking an enemy.

The two young teenagers waited patiently for their targets to pass directly beneath them and then Kakashi worked his magic. Still cloaked with the Moguragakure no jutsu, he sidled down the wall of the cavern until his feet touched the soil below. His fingers flew through the handseals required for the Doton: Shinzu Zanshu no Jutsu. Gai's quick hands covered the mouths of their charges as they were rapidly yanked into the ground. A quick chop to the sides of their necks rendered them unconscious. Kakashi released his technique and pushed the bodies back up to the surface so that they could steal the clothes of their victims.

The clothing was much too large to fit them, but after a little adjusting and a subtle application of dirt to Gai's cheeks, the two of them looked like little more than short men. Kakashi deposited the men back up to their necks in the soil underneath a slab of stone that jutted from the wall. It looked to be an improvised bench but that mattered little to the pair as long as the bodies of the guards were hidden.

Kakashi knew that they weren't to take any prisoners, but he didn't want to kill if he didn't have to. He figured that he'd be making up for this kindness in a short amount of time.

Gai caught his eye and offered a small smile, as if understanding Kakashi's thought-process, and then beckoned for the slightly taller boy to follow him down the tunnel-like section of the cave. It led into the main cavern. Here they had only set up a modicum of traps—enough to prevent people from fleeing in the direction that Jiraiya and Genma would be working.

Kakashi had compensated for the fact that they were covering for them and made it appear that their target was the goods centered in the middle of the room. Diverting attention only worked so well if you made it obvious as to what you were trying to divert attention from.

The two exchanged glances as they meandered into the open space with the same leisurely swagger that the guards had moved about with. Neither was given suspicious looks, though a few of the shady-looking merchants gave them nods. Kakashi wasn't sure what response would be appropriate so he nodded in return. He'd have loved to have monitored the guards interactions a bit longer, but they were on a tight schedule.

As they approached the middle of the open space, Kakashi began to notice eyes upon him. Surprisingly enough, they were of the female variety. He was about to initiate the attack when he noticed the gaze of the merchant he'd nodded to upon him.

"Ain't you gon' buy one?" he prodded, a leering look on his face as he glanced over his girls. "I know they ain't much boss, but they's all we got today."

Kakashi paused as he considered the words of the man. Boss? He began to wonder just exactly who he looked like. Instead of responding he shrugged and pretended to look over the women as he tried to figure out who the man had mistaken him for.

It turned out that his answer came quite quickly. Gai elbowed him in the side as a man their height swaggered over, a bottle of liquor in hand. The man breezed past Gai and Kakashi, walking straight up to the portly merchant.

"Whaddya got for me?" demanded the strange man, his words slurring together as he lecherously looked from woman to woman. They tittered nervously and averted their eyes.

The merchant scratched his balding head and looked back and forth from the two masked men, only now noticing the bandages covering Kakashi's left eye.

"Eh, boss, what happened to your eye?" he asked nervously. Kakashi blanched, realizing that he was once again being mistaken for the boss. The angry little man whirled around to stare at the merchant, his mask pooling around his neck as he took another swig. Then he noticed Kakashi and froze in place.

Kakashi looked guiltily at Gai, knowing that their cover was blown. They'd been here less than ten minutes and they were already nearing a failed mission.

"Who the fuck are you?" rasped the short man, jabbing Kakashi in the chest. The gray-haired boy felt a bead of sweat trickle down his neck as their disguise rapidly unraveled. They were well and truly fucked.

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"HERE, CLIMB UP there and then we'll crawl over the side." Jiraiya commanded, his tone hushed. Genma nodded, pocketing the senbon that had been in his mouth. If he dropped it while they were climbing it would give them away.

Jiraiya nodded in approval and followed, carefully using the pads of his toes and his fingertips to scale the wall after a gentle application of chakra. When they finally cleared the barrier of wooden reinforcements, Genma withdrew the senbon and returned it to its customary place.

The young boy's eyes narrowed as he tried to pick up the sounds of any movements—a useful trick that Jiraiya had taught him in the past year. He heard nothing, but that news neither startled him nor reassured him. Jiraiya's hand suddenly blocked him from moving any further; curiously, he turned to see Jiraiya with a finger pressed to his lips and a stern expression on his face.

Jiraiya lifted a geta-clad foot and Genma watched as it glowed for a moment. Of course. Genma swiftly directed chakra to his feet to cancel out any sound that would be produced by movement. It was a high-level technique, even for having such a simple purpose. The trick was cloaking the use of chakra so that sensors wouldn't be able to detect it.

As they navigated the short path to the room containing the documents, Jiraiya seemed to grow more and more confused.

"What is it?" hissed Genma, unable to contain himself any longer.

Jiraiya paused, resting a finger to his chin as he thought. "We've been traveling for far too long... I think we're under a genjutsu. On the count of three, I want you to do your best to release it. Understood?" Genma nodded. "One, two,... three!"

Jiraiya exhaled in relief when the vision of the tunnel faded. His heart leaped into his throat when he took in the scene before him.. Genma was still struggling to remove the genjutsu but that was not what frightened Jiraiya. No, it was the sickly, pale ninja that had a kunai to his student's throat that sent shivers up and down his spine.

The ninja didn't appear to notice that Jiraiya was removed from the genjutsu; the strange ninja didn't appear to be very aware of anything at all. His gaunt face was void of expression as he stared off into space, his body tensed and prepared for 's arm moved slowly to free the kunai that he'd hidden in a holder beneath his sleeve. All was silent save for the gentle, nearly imperceptible rustle of his sleeve.

Jiraiya froze when the Iwa ninja's eyes suddenly turned to stare at him sightlessly. Cataracts covered the iris and pupil of the individual, causing them to appear as though they were glowing. Jiraiya's heart leaped into his chest as he stared at the boy of maybe sixteen. A disturbing grin carved the young man's pallor-stricken lips into a startling replica of a smile.

"_Looking_ for something?" droned the ninja, tilting his head to the side. Jiraiya drew his arm back, hoping the blind ninja wouldn't recognize the sound.

"Nothing in particular," Jiraiya lied. His tone were conversational, as though he wasn't terrified of the boy in the slightest. As though he wasn't terrified of this thing that hardly resembled a human being.

"You shouldn't wander about down here... you might get lost. You know, you might even-" his words were cut off as the kunai from Jiraiya's hand embedded itself into his skull, just between his eyebrows.

Jiraiya reached out with two fingers, tapping Genma on the head as he whispered, "Release!" to free the boy from the genjutsu.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get out of it! It was-"

"It's quite alright," Jiraiya whispered, an odd touch of emotion in his voice. Genma couldn't quite place it. He watched as the white-haired sannin tugged the body of the strange subhuman-looking boy out of the middle of the tunnel and through a little hole in the side of the wall. "Where did he come from?"

"Where we all come from."

Genma's face wrinkled at the cryptic answer. "So what now?"

"We carry on."

* * *

[.-_-.]

* * *

"CRAP! COVER ME!" yelled Gai, twisting in mid-air to unleash a strange ninjutsu that he'd picked up at some point in his year of training without Kakashi. Unsurprisingly it was a Katon jutsu, but the effects of it were strange. After Gai exhaled the fire, it began to wrap around two or three of their enemies and effectively burn them to death.

"You can't use direct jutsus like that right now!" Kakashi spat out in exasperation as he used his tanto to deflect the swarm of kunai that hurtled towards Gai. In practiced unison they leapt away from the scene in different directions. Kakashi fired off a wide-range jutsu that he'd found in one of his family scrolls. "Raiton: Dageki Myaku," he whispered. (Lightning Release: Shock Pulse)

An invisible current of electricity pulsed outwards, with Kakashi at the epicenter. Their aggressors were either blown back by the shock or frozen in place as they were gripped with the electrical current. Gai quickly pelted those frozen in place with kunai and widespread Katon jutsus.

"Duck!" Gai screamed and without thinking, Kakashi complied. He dropped to the ground, flat on his stomach, without knocking the air from his chest. The moment he hit the ground he pitched his weight to one side so he could prepare to counter whatever or whomever it was that was a threat to him.

He paled slightly when he saw the three arrows embedded into a cart that had been abandoned by its merchant, just at the height of where his head had been. He turned to gaze at the archers for only a moment before he realized that they weren't being taken seriously. It was a silly mistake on their part but it worked out well for them. If they were truly being taken seriously, they'd be facing the tougher ninjas of the stronghold—not the weaker archers and mercenaries.

Kakashi scowled as he flung kunai in the direction of the archers, knowing that they'd make their mark unless the archers moved. He let out a surprised breath when the overconfident archers didn't move and all of them were beamed in the head. What was going on? They were practically letting themselves be killed.

"Gai they're hardly putting up a fight!" he exclaimed, spinning around as he aimed a high roundhouse kick at an enemy's face.

His companion let out a grunt of concentration as he dropped into a full split before leaning back and spinning his legs in a semi-circular motion to give him the momentum to propel himself back to his feet. "Capitalize on it, then!"

Kakashi smiled as he remembered his orders. Take no prisoners? "I suppose I'll just have to live up to my name..."

The gray-haired ninja leaped into the air, somersaulting as he blasted through the necessary seals for his newest assault. '_Time to change tactics,' _he thought savagely. He could hear Naruto chuckling in the recesses of his mind.

"Sosei sakkaku," he whispered, looking up as he landed in a crouch. '_Resurrection Illusion? What are you—ohh!' _Naruto began to cheer as he realized what Kakashi was doing. It was an area-covering genjutsu that was affecting the entirety of the cavern.

Gai looked up in shock as it appeared that an enemy he had just incapacitated began to rise to her feet. "Kakashi!"

The boy in question ignored his ally's frantic call and began to alter his illusion. He quickly zeroed in on the dark-haired prodigy and cancelled out the jutsus affect on the boy. Gai blinked in confusion for a moment before he realized what Kakashi had been doing.

"Look out!" screamed Kakashi, realizing that he'd just put Gai at risk by disorienting him. Gai spun around on reflex, trying to disable whatever it was that was threatening him. He let out a grunt of pain as a fist connected with his chest, sending him tumbling. He couldn't help but be thankful that it hadn't been a sharp weapon instead.

Kakashi narrowed his lone, visible eye and flung himself in the direction of the man that was closing in on Gai's crumpled form. With a vicious kick to side of the man's head, he felled the large man. The man instantly rolled into a crouching position and Kakashi was forced to somersault to avoid the man's fist.

Gai rolled onto his hands and knees, trying to avoid the wild swing of the 'boss man' who Kakashi had erroneously impersonated. Silently wondering to himself where the man had gone, he delivered a swift kick to the man's groin before reaching out and cranking his face to one side. With a crunch, the vertebrates ground together, breaking apart and severing the spinal cord in the process. Gai reached lower, placing one hand on the man's chest and another on his shoulder before curling his fingers into the man's shirt. With a soft grunt he hefted the man into the air and flung him at Kakashi's pursuer.

Kakashi let out a wolfish chortle at the look of surprise in his enemy's wide green eyes when the body collided with him full-force sending the both of them tumbling.

"Time for the grand finale, don't you think?" he called out to Gai, watching in amusement as the would-be taijutsu specialist began to dart about ending the lives of those cowering in fear from Kakashi's genjutsu.

"Wait! Kakashi! They're running into the other tunnels!"

Kakashi furrowed his brow as he realized what he'd done. He'd sent a good number of lower level ninja running for the tunnels that would lead to wear Jiraiya and Genma were trying to procure the documents. This was not good.

"Do we split up?" asked Gai, the words dying on his lips as he spotted a small troupe of decidedly intimidating ninja stalking towards them with livid expressions.

Kakashi gulped slightly before reaching into his hip-pouch and producing two soldier pills. "Take one," he commanded to Gai, his visible eye hardening as he evaluated their enemy. "I think they're finally going to take us seriously. The perverts will be fine."

* * *

**Alright, so this is a shitty spot to end it. BUT I've lost inspiration for this part of the story and I have been so utterly swamped! I'm sorry I haven't updated in nearly two months. This chapter is regrettably sub-par and doesn't lead much into the storyline, but I'm trying to take care of this part of the story. I can't just bypass the war, lol. SO. Next chapter you can expect the mission to finish up, the war to be resolved, and Kakashi is going to finally find out what his summon is! :] Let me know what you thought of this chapter. **

** In the future do we want... **

** A. More fight scenes and development of everyone's skills. **

** B. Plot development and progression. **

** Let me know! :] Love you all, so sorry for being absent like I've been. Troubles with depression, graduation, and trying to find a job in this shitty ass economy. Ahh, such is life, I suppose. :] **

** Mellokai **


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